


Ocean Lullaby

by thranduils1



Series: Ocean Lullaby [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Eventual Smut, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Forbidden Love, Human Castiel, Light Angst, Love Confessions, Love at First Sight, Mermaids, Sailor x Mermaid, Sailor/Mermaid, Singing, Smut, Spells & Enchantments, mermaid
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-18
Updated: 2019-01-09
Packaged: 2019-09-21 19:39:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 30,620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17049362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thranduils1/pseuds/thranduils1
Summary: Castiel has been searching for over a decade and a half for the mermaid that spared his life when he was young for a reason unknown to him. He hasn’t been able to shake her song and lives his life on the sea, not liking spending time on land except to give his crew a break. It is a waste of time when he could be on the water where he could run into her again. What he doesn’t know is that he’s never left the mermaid’s mind either and every ship she encounters, she waits hopefully to catch a glimpse of him.





	1. Introduction

**Author's Note:**

> Moving my fics over from Tumblr. Originally posted 2/1/18.

You followed your sisters – Neireda, Oona, and Mila – as they moved in on a ship. It was late at night, so only sentries would be awake, and it was easier that way to lure them over the side of a ship without causing a ruckus. Especially since it was a Galleon ship, big enough that if you were to lure them towards the bow, no one would hear their splash.

It was like clockwork the way they swam around each other, finding position. They were here to teach you tonight. You’re singing voice had finally developed after decades of being alive. You’d asked why it took so long for it to develop but no one had been able to give you a straight answer.

Neireda swam back to you and grabbed your hand. You hadn’t even realized you’d stopped.

“Come,” she encouraged you.

Letting her take the lead, you swam with her until she pulled you to the surface and you were near the hull of the boat.

She gave you a knowing look and you swallowed sharply, nervous that you would not be able to coerce the sailors properly. You didn’t want to fail.

Your voice was shaky at first, quieter than it should have been as well. You felt Neireda’s soft touch on your shoulder and you inhaled deeply before trying it again.

It was smoother this time, soft but louder than it had been. You needed time to build up your song and let it weave into an ethereal call for the sailors on board. You were becoming more confident the more powerful you felt your voice becoming. Not loud but the layers of your voice encircling the ship.

A man peered over the side and Neireda was all show immediately. A seductive smile painted her face, her eyes sly. The man’s eyes were wide, his hands gripping the rigging of the ship to lean over further to see the pair of you.

Neireda swam closer to the ship and placed her hand on it, looking up at the man who leaned ever further to still see her. She was hungry, but she kept her façade of a beautiful maiden up, joining in to your song.

The smile on the man’s face was serene and you could see the desire burning in his eyes.

The sailor startled, jumping back and you knew someone had come up behind him. You kept up your enchanting song, knowing it wouldn’t take long for the other sailor to look over.

You could hear the two of them arguing quietly and finally they both looked back over, and the new man’s eyes widened. His eyes snapped to Neireda who had rose her voice, it dancing around yours, further amplifying the affect.

He fell into the rhythm quicker than you expected and now both of them were watching transfixed with the pair of you.

Neireda began swimming towards the bow of the boat slowly, keeping her eyes on the two men, keeping her beautiful voice steady.

You felt someone slide by you and turning your head, you saw Oona had surfaced and was following Neireda. Her copper eyes were alight, another powerful tactic used by your kind to further entice the sailors in.

Movement caught your eye and you turned towards the noise and saw a young man staring down, leaning over the railing of the boat.

Your singing dulled, staring up at those blue eyes. They were almost as striking as one of your kind’s. Your voice trailed off, but it did nothing to deter the young man from staring at you longingly. He’d already been entangled in the spider’s web, trapped.

The young man was watching you closely and you felt his pull towards you. He was enamored with you but for some reason you couldn’t open your mouth to lull him in. Your heart hammered in your ears, your eyes running over his features and his frame. There was something about him…

A splash distracted you and your head turned towards the noise but you couldn’t see around the bow of the boat. You knew one of the men had jumped off and one of your sisters was taking him into her arms.

“My lady,” the young man spoke to you and your eyes snapped back to meet his. Relief looked like it flooded through him, having your gaze upon him again.

You couldn’t kill him.

You dove back underneath the water.

But not before turning around and looking back up through the water. Through the waves, your powerful eyesight could still see him.

He was leaning so far over the side of the boat, his eyes searching the water for you excitedly. You watched him from beneath the waves, your heart clenching at thinking about him jumping in after you to try to find you. Or worse, one of your sisters spotting him and bringing him to his death.

You wouldn’t resurface. You didn’t resurface.

They didn’t have to know that he had been on the deck. That you had let him go.

Neireda and Oona caught your eyes, holding the men in their arms. They had to be close to dead now, water filling their lungs.

One more glance up at the deck, you etched the young man into your memory, knowing it was more than likely you would never see him again. And you regretted dragging him into this, fearing he could never fully shake your song.

You followed your sisters, leaving the searching man, and feeling like you were leaving something important behind.


	2. What Have You Done?

Castiel leaned his head back, closing his eyes, exhaling deeply. He was at that sweet spot of relaxation but not too far gone. He still had a fresh pint of ale waiting in the cup next to him which he decided he would sip on for the remainder of the time he was awake tonight.

He’d stopped at port four days ago to give his men a few days to shake their limbs out and find themselves a lass or three. He’d found one of his own and she had satisfied the itch he had. That had been two nights previous. He’d spent the rest of the time collecting supplies and making sure that they were being delivered to the ship. They’d found well enough profit this time, finding a shipwreck on a distant island. It had taken maneuvering to get to the ship, but it had proved more than fruitful with the amount of bounty that had been left on board.

The men were satisfied and that’s all Castiel needed to keep their loyalty.

The smell of the ale drew him from his thoughts and his eyes fluttered open, staring up at the ceiling. His eyes traveled over the intricate design of the ceiling art and it dawned on him what the artwork was. How had he not noticed before that the ceiling was adorned with sea art, the main focus being mermaids? The odds of it…

She crossed his mind daily, clouding his thoughts. All he wanted was to go back to her… be with her. That’s why he needed his crew. He needed them to help him sail and to keep him company as well on his travels.

He’d imagined seeing her again a million times in his mind, each time slightly different in how he would encounter her. He didn’t believe she would harm him. And if she would have him, he would stay nearby so she could visit and sing to him. He just wanted to hear her voice again and see her beauty in all its splendor.

But, he’d been searching for decades. He worried he would never see her again, whether by two boats constantly passing in the night or… he’d even thought that she could possibly no longer be here in the world. The thought made him sick and he squeezed his eyes tight to try to brush it from his mind. A world where he would search endlessly, never knowing she was nowhere to be found…

He was startled by a rapt knock on the door.

“Captain,” Nicu called out from the other side of the door, his words not yet slurring but Castiel had known him long enough to know he was well on his way to that.

Castiel stood up from his chair and strode over to the door, unlocking it and opening it to face his first mate. Who was not alone; two women flanked him on either side.

“Do I have to remind you, you have first mate duties in the morning, Nicu?”

“First mate?” one of the prostitutes giggled, running her hand up his chest. “You failed to mention that.”

Castiel held back rolling his eyes as Nicu told her, with a loving tone, “That would come off as bragging. I just wanted you to like me for me.”

Both girls tittered again and Nicu turned back to Castiel, smiling sheepishly. “Captain… they said they are open to you choosing.”

He assumed Nicu had paid a pretty penny for them and considering he had had women all four nights, it was going to put a dent in his pocket money. Better have him enjoy it himself. Castiel told him, “I am fine, Nicu. I need rest. I am in charge of an entire crew.”

“You are sure?”

Castiel ran his eyes over the two girls and flicked his eyes back to his first mate. “Yes, I’m sure.”

He would have felt bad about the girls looking slightly offended but his psyche was sending him into a bad place, leaving little room for sympathy.

“We will head back out in the morning, remember?” Castiel addressed him.

Nicu nodded, “Yessir.” To the girls, he smiled, “Well, I guess I have you both to myself.” The girls followed him away, his arms swung around each of them.

Shaking his head, Castiel stepped back into his room, and locked the door once more.

Sighing loudly, he remembered what had been on his mind. His eyes fell on the ale and he threw caution to the wind. He needed it all – and quickly – to sleep. Hopefully to hear her in his dreams.

<> <> <>

You never enjoyed eating after a hunt since encountering that young man. But it was essential. You tried to pretend it wasn’t what it was: human. You ate as little as you could. Just enough to survive. Your sisters coveted human hearts though; it was seen as a delicacy. You saw it as a waste; not only of potential and life, but of the rest of the body.

Your voice had developed into one of the more tranquilizing melodies, so not going along with them was not an option.

And you wouldn’t have chosen to stay behind either. You were always looking to see if you could catch a glimpse of the young man – who had no doubt grown – who you feared was still at sea. You don’t know what you would say to him if you crossed paths again or if he would even be interested in speaking since the happenstance of seeing him again would mean he would be under your trance or one of your sister’s.

You just knew you wanted to make sure he was still alive and well. And to be able to stare into those crystalline eyes even for another second.

Typically, you should not go swimming on your own but, you had done it more frequently, despite your older sister’s requests, as of late.

Hoisting yourself onto a small rock, your tail still submerged in the water, you wrung out your hair. The moon was bright tonight, illuminating the cave you were sitting at the edge of. You liked this lagoon; the sound of the waves was soothing, and it was alive with schools of fish.

Not to mention the gorgeous, glowing flowers along the edge of the forest on the shore. They were medicinal your sister Mila had told you. Humans came from time to time, hearing rumors of it. The island was not easy to find though, so visitors were not frequent.

Which is why the small boat caught your eye so quickly. You dropped your hair, cocking your head, staring across the lagoon at the row boat anchored at the shore.

Your eyes searched the shoreline like a hawk, eventually zoning in on the light standing far above the ground. There was most certainly someone – or a group – on the shore.

A quarter of an hour passed before the light began moving back towards the water and you could make out two – no three – bodies walking in a line back towards the boat. One was carrying a basket of some sort that was full of the flowers, slowly losing their light after being cut. The group did not seem bothered and you surmised they must have known that even if the light faded, the power was still well preserved.

Slipping into the water quietly, you waited to follow them back towards their ship – how had you missed it? – and search as you always did.

They made slow progress compared to your ability to swim but you were patient, taking your time, swimming lazily.

The ship was magnificent, and you took off ahead of them to admire it. And catch a glimpse of who was on deck.

<> <> <>

Kasim leaned forward over the basket he was holding full of the flowers, his eyes intent on the water.

“What are you looking at?” Eiji huffed out, rowing in tandem with Earcna.

“I saw something… a fin.”

Earcna snorted, “Well, we are on the ocean, Kasim.”

“No… it had long hair too.” His eyes widened, and he hissed, “Lads, what if it was a mermaid? She’s heading for the ship!”

Eiji and Earcna ceased their rowing slowly, looking at Kasim with wary eyes. Eiji looked over his shoulder at Earcna and asked, “Do we risk it?”

“Risk what? We have wax in our ears for this very purpose. But, what about the rest of the ship?” Kasim asked.

Earcna was debating something before answering Eiji, “What do you think the captain would think?”

“He seemed indifferent when we mentioned it.”

“He probably didn’t ever think it would come to pass.” Earcna looked over at Kasim and asked, “Are you sure it was only one?”

“That’s all I could see. But what are you going on about?”

Eiji smiled, “Mermaid scales could be worth a lot. And I know a certain tailor looking for some to make clothes for wealthy girl’s dresses.”

<> <> <>

You’d seen a few men patrolling around the boat’s edge as you waited for the other men to board. You were careful around the bow of the boat, trying to catch glimpses of the men who were boarding. They seemed on edge, looking around the water, scrutinizing. You had to be stealthier with their suspicious behavior, diving back beneath the water.

All three disappeared back on deck and you emerged from the water again cautiously, keeping your eyes on the railing for sight of any other passengers.

None of them had been him and you felt that usual sinking feeling of disappointment.

Deciding to swim around the boat once more, you circled around the stern and flicked a glance up to the windows where the captain’s quarters were. You wondered what kind of captain was in charge of this ship and what business they had bringing medicinal flowers aboard.

You’d only been distracted for a moment by your thoughts before you realized you’d circled to the other side and there were eyes on you. It was too late to dive underneath the water, you’d already been seen. 

They were staring down at you… smirking. How had you been so foolish?

You opened your mouth, beginning a beautiful, entrancing song.

They weren’t reacting.

Your song faltered, fear rising in your chest.

And then something struck your throat.

You barely felt the net that had been cast wrapping itself up around you as your vision blurred.

<> <> <>

The smell of something putrid roused you violently but you couldn’t move your arms. And there was cloth tied tightly, gagging you. You laid on the ground, blinking away the blurriness in your vision.

In front of you, a young man became clear holding a small jar and you smelled yet again the putrid smell and jerked away from him, a cough of disgust leaving your mouth.

Your blood ran cold realizing you were on the deck of their ship.

You cried out against the gag seeing your beautiful tail begin to melt away as your skin dried, splitting in two. Your scales disappeared, replaced with smooth skin. It was all so wrong. You felt exposed and you’d never felt that way before. But their searching eyes on your naked form was jarring.

Folding into yourself, your eyes searched the crowd wildly. They were all closing in, staring in shock at you, talking excitedly about what exactly dark magic changed you and other foolish things. It was not dark magic, you wanted to yell. They had done this to you by bringing you out of the water!

“You’ve damned us!” “We have to kill her!” “She will make us a pretty penny! Her scales will be worth at least a case!” “Her scales are gone, you idiot!” “When she gets wet again, they should come back!” “That is just legend!” “Well, you just saw her fin disappear when she dried! It will more than likely come back when she is wet!” “She’s dangerous! She’ll drive us all mad with her voice!” “We can keep her gagged! She’s no danger to us then!” “What about when she gets hungry! Did you think of that?”

A voice cut through the ruckus, “What the hell are you idiots, doing? What the hell is everyone doing on deck at this hour and tell me why you’re making so much bloody noise!”

A hush fell over the crowd hearing the man’s voice and they all parted away from you.

A man pushed through them, an air of arrogance and authority about him.

His eyes landed on you and your breath caught in your chest.

The color of serene water pulled you in yet again, piercing into you.

He’d grown, aged. But he was still as striking as ever. You couldn’t find words, nothing to drive you to plead with him to let you go home. Let you go back to your original form.

Instead, you tried to pull yourself closer in, trying to hide, even more ashamed of being seen with these foreign legs. Your beautiful fin nowhere to be found.

“What have you done?” the man finally found his voice again, still staring down at you.

It seemed that he was trying to keep his distance, still looking in disbelief. You were avoiding his gaze, knowing that it was fruitless. He recognized you, he had to.

The spell that had been over him fell away and he moved quickly, removing his jacket, shrugging it off from his shoulders. The crowd of men had began talking again, trying to speak over each other to explain how you had come on board and whose fault it was.

He was so near, you could smell his musk, see the stubble of his chin clearly, as he leaned down to cover you with his large jacket. He most certainly remembered. What human would treat a mermaid like this if there was no past? No connection?

The man was staring into your eyes, disbelief and excitement etched into his features. He reached out, meaning to reach for your face but he retracted his hand at the last moment, as if he feared to touch you.

Standing up suddenly, startling you slightly, his hand snaked out and he grabbed onto the collar of one of the men closest to him, who happened to be one of the ones that had been on the rowboat, yanking him close. “Was she alone?”

The noise ceased and the man sputtered, “Y-yes, captain.”

Captain? You startled at this. He’d risen in rank. This was his ship. He was no longer merely a worker or whatever he had been before. The answer to the question that had distracted you and landed you on this deck was in front of you.

“Are you sure?” the captain pressed.

“Yes. She was sneaking around the boat alone, not singing.”

“How do you know that?”

“Her mouth wasn’t open until she saw us. And then she tried. But the wax. You were right, captain.”

Castiel chewed on this for a moment.

He squatted down next to you once more, and you stared into his eyes, lost to them. He was searching you, seeming as enamored as he had been the last time he had seen you. You wondered what would happen to him if you began to sing again. If it wasn’t for this godforsaken gag, you believed you would try. Not for menacing reasons, just… curiosity.

“They’re going to take you to my cabin,” he started gently. “Find you something to wear.”

“Captain?” someone sputtered from behind him. His eyes trained in on the man, demanding an explanation. “You can’t trust her. These idiots have damned us all!”

The captain was on him in a second, “We will talk soon, Nicu!” To the rest of the group, he snapped, “That’s an order. You and you, assist her to walk. I imagine she probably can’t well yet. And make sure she stays gagged! I don’t trust the rumor that she has no power on land yet.”

Well. So much for him wanting to hear you sing again. Your heart dropped at this.

<> <> <>

Castiel stood near the railing of the ship, staring off into the sea. It was true she had been alone, that much he knew. They wouldn’t still be sailing if she wasn’t. Her sisters would have brought the ship down.

He rubbed his mouth furiously.

He had wanted to see her again terribly, after all these years. But, this was not the way he had wanted it to happen.


	3. The Sea

“It’s bad luck to have a woman on board! And especially one such as this!”

Nicu had cornered Castiel the moment the rest of the crew had left him alone to return to their beds and no doubt gossip about what had transpired.

Castiel turned his head to look at Nicu and reassured him, “She will be fine in my cabin.”

“I am not comfortable leaving you with her, captain.”

“She won’t hurt me.”

Nicu looked at Castiel as if he thought he was off his rocker. He swallowed sharply and tried a different angle, “Her sisters could take the ship down.”

“They don’t know she’s gone,” Castiel pointed out.

He was getting visibly frustrated, “And if she escapes? And goes to tell them?”

Shaking his head, Castiel told him confidently, “She won’t do that. The escaping or the bringing us trouble.”

“Why?”

“You’re just going to have to trust me. She isn’t like the rest of them.”

Nicu furrowed his brow, staring at Castiel in confusion. Castiel realized he had said to much and closed his mouth, running his hand over his face.

“I don’t know what you’re not telling me, captain, but –”

Castiel stepped closer and said in a hushed voice, “She spared my life.” Nicu’s eyebrows rose, whether he believed Castiel was unknown, but he was intrigued. “When I was a lad. She could have sung for me to follow her into the water, but she didn’t. She let me be.”

“Maybe she was full.” Castiel let out an annoyed sigh and Nicu protested, “It could be the truth!”

“It wasn’t that. There was… something about her. She looked like she couldn’t physically do it. Kill me, I mean. She’d been singing until she saw me.”

Nicu was silent, watching Castiel closely.

“And she wasn’t singing again tonight,” Castiel continued when Nicu said nothing. “She wasn’t trying to kill anyone.”

Still not speaking, Nicu looked out at the water, watching the waves. His eyes searched the crests, looking for any sign of life.

“If I may request, captain, I would like someone stationed outside your door. Just… to keep my mind at ease.”

“Granted.”

Meeting his captain’s eyes again, Nicu told him, “You need to figure out how to convince the crew. If anything starts going wrong, they’re going to blame her. And in turn blame you for keeping her alive. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll keep any potential mutinous rats under my boot. Firmly.”

<> <> <>

They’d knocked you out again as soon as you’d stepped into the man’s cabin.

Some herbs and paste they’d swiped on a towel and closed in around your mouth and nose.

You realized you were in a nightgown. You swallowed the bile rising in your throat, thinking of them touching you. You touched your throat gently, closing your eyes.

That’s when it dawned on you, you weren’t bound.

Your eyes opened again, and you sat up on the bed. The shifting of the bed caught the eyes of the men standing by the door. They looked as if they didn’t want to come closer and you realized they were still afraid of you.

You doubted they had touched you more than was needed then. They were more than likely quick about it, wanting to be away from you as soon as possible.

It was chilly in the room, not having a blanket over you and the simple gown. You wanted to burrow in the blankets but you knew whose bed this was and refrained from doing so.

You realized they had taken the gag off of you as well.

“Where is he?” your voice cracked.

One of the men asked, “Who?”

“Your captain.”

“Up on deck.”

You hated asking but it needed to be done. “How long have I been out?”

“Quarter of an hour.”

A quarter of an hour? You felt like you’d rested for ages. They must have noticed the look of surprise on your face and one of them sighed.

“We’re precise in our mixing.”

They’d trained for this. They’d obviously used it on humans before and had banked on it working the same on you. Well, they had been right.

“You aren’t blocking your ears,” you commented.

The men had taken your gag off after arguing between the other about whether or not the rumor was true. They both had the smell of whiskey about them which no doubt contributed to their reckless behavior.

Unfortunately, they were right. You leaving the water – especially with the spell those idiots had put on the net they cast around you – gaining legs and being close to human… you couldn’t sing. It hadn’t mattered if they had done that spell or not. As soon as you were dry, your body adapted. Causing you to essentially take on the form of a human and a loss of your abilities.

“I believe the legend. If you could sing, you would have done it already. A gag wouldn’t have mattered,” the pirate told you.

He was smarter than he looked and maybe whiskey was just a constant odor on him. You would give him that.

“Are you going to stay there staring at me all night?”

The other finally spoke, with a seething glare to match his sneer, “Captain said not to let you out of our sight, creature.”

Creature.

“I have a name, you know,” you sneered back at him.

“Don’t care.”

This cretin. You had no intention of keeping them alive when your sisters showed up or when you got the upper hand. Better let them know. It was the most immediate satisfaction.

“You should. You should remember my name when the water is filling your lungs. But you wouldn’t care, would you? All that would matter was that I kept singing to you.” Your eyebrows rose, and you watched their expressions. They were on edge, trying to not seem so. You smirked, your eyes conveying darkness, “I won’t stay here cooped up forever. And when I get back to the water, you’ll be the first to go.”

They looked on the brink of attacking you, but the door opened, and he stepped inside, carrying a small basket. You immediately sat up straighter, your eyes burning into him.

He noticed the tension in the room and his eyes flicked to the men.

“Leave us,” the captain demanded. The two men glowered at you and the captain growled, “Do I have to repeat myself, you dogs?”

They left instantly, obeying. As soon as the door closed, he turned back towards you and his eyes ran over what they had dressed you in.

“I said something suitable,” he mumbled to himself more than anything before walking past you over towards the large table near the back windows of the ship. He placed the basket on the table and began unpacking whatever was in it. “I’ll find something in the morning when it’s light. Something that’s warmer and less… inappropriate for everyone to see you in.”

“They already saw me naked. I don’t think you can get more improper than that,” you quipped before you could stop yourself.

He stood up straight and looked at you over his shoulder. “Noted. I apologize.”

There was nothing for him to apologize for except for the fact that he had let those men live. But, you decided it was not an appropriate thing to say at the moment or ever.

He stepped out of the way and you saw that there was an assortment of human food: fruits, breads, dried meats, some oddities that you did not recognize. “I brought some food. I don’t know if any will be appetizing…” He paused, his eyes narrowing slightly. “I don’t know what to call you.”

“Your men seem to think ‘creature’ is an appropriate name,” you told him scornfully and you saw him flinch slightly at that.

“I apologize.”

“You keep saying that.”

“There is little I can say to make reparations.”

“You could let me go.”

He flinched again. “You know I can’t do that… not yet.”

He actually looked remorseful and you felt he deserved some credit. He hadn’t killed you and he hadn’t brought you on board the ship. And you had been searching for him for so long and now that he was in front of you, you were screwing up the vision you had had of this moment.

Extending an olive branch, you said softly. “Y/N, captain.” His brow creased, and you told him gently, “My name is Y/N.”

You could discern a sense of calm wash over his features.

<> <> <>

Y/N.

It was a beautiful name. It would roll off his tongue and it would feel as if it was the only word he should say for the rest of his life.

<> <> <>

“Castiel,” he told you simply, introducing himself.

It fit him. It rang like an echo; it was clear. Just like his eyes.

The two of you were locked an a trance, staring at each other, finally having the real names of the people you had been chasing through the wind and waves for decades.

Clearing his throat, Castiel averted his eyes first and gestured at the table. “Feel free to pick through. If you would feel more comfortable, my robe is there. It will be warmer. And I’ll tend to the fire.”

He stepped away from the table to do so as you stood up from the bed, still shaking slightly on your legs. You grasped the bed and cursed to yourself. You’d never walked on land before and had no experience. Your legs were strong because they mirrored the strength in your tail but your coordination was all off.

You felt a hand on your arm and you looked over at him. He was holding the robe and asked gently, “Would you like assistance?”

“It makes me feel like a child.”

“You’re the farthest thing from a child,” Castiel told you and then reddened slightly. You caught the implication and decided to not embarrass him over his compliment of your features.

Taking the robe from him, you quickly realized how it was supposed to go on and slipped your arms in the sleeves.

Castiel led you to the table on his strong arm, his other large hand clasped on your arm. You only stumbled a couple times, but he didn’t seem bothered.

“You’ll get the hang of it,” he told you as he pulled out the chair for you.

You sat down gingerly, and your eyes ran over the array of foods in front of you. You picked up a roll and took a bite and instantly put your hand underneath your chin to catch the bits of crust. You hadn’t expected it to be so crumbly and you looked over your shoulder embarrassed to see if Castiel had noticed.

His back was to you, tending to the fire as he had said he would.

It tasted decent and you now knew the mess it would make. You were more careful when you took the next bite.

Castiel let you eat in peace, him sitting in an armchair next to the fireplace, scanning through a book. You had a feeling he wasn’t really reading it, just trying to look like he was doing something.

Your suspicion was concerned when you heard a small sigh leave his mouth and he cleared his throat. He just threw the question that had been burning away at him out there, “Why didn’t you kill me?”

You couldn’t bring yourself to look at him, so you swallowed the piece of a citrus in your mouth, staring down at the table.

There was no real answer for him that wouldn’t embarrass you. You didn’t know how to tell him that he’d stilled your heart with one look. “I don’t know.” There was truth in this; you didn’t know why you had felt so suddenly for him, why he had struck you at your core and made you feel such strong emotion. “I just saw you… and didn’t.” You quickly corrected yourself, “Couldn’t.”

“Couldn’t.” Castiel latched onto the word and you feared you had revealed just enough.

There was no taking it back now though. “Yes. I couldn’t.”

Unspoken words hung in the air between the two of you, both wanting to say more or ask more.

You knew that a mermaid’s song was intoxicating and sunk its hooks into the victim. You wondered if he was the first one to escape the fate humans usually faced upon being entranced by your people. You thought the hooks you’d laid must have festered over the years, painful things he couldn’t pick out and throw away.  
“Is that why you spared me?” you finally asked, turning around in your chair to face him.

Castiel looked stabbed by the question and you knew then that it was true. He’d never forgotten your voice and even now that he had you in front of him and you were unable to sing for him, he had still protected you. Your presence was enough to satiate the desire he had to hear you. It gave him hope that one day he would be able to hear it again somehow. As long as he kept you around.

“Partially,” Castiel answered, regaining control over his expression. “I wasn’t going to let you get skinned – “ you flinched at the term but knew it was accurate “on the deck of my ship. I am not cruel in that way.”

You nodded, “Well… thank you.”

“Of course.”

There was a quiet, the two of you having moments of introspection and absorption of the information the other had offered.

Suddenly, you felt a surge of air forcing itself up your throat and you tried to stop it escaping, panicking.

Your eyes met Castiel’s and he had the beginnings of an amused grin before he closed his mouth.

“Why… why did that happen?” you asked.

“It was a yawn.”

“A what?”

“It happens when you – when humans – get tired.”

Another unfortunate and unwanted side effect of being on land, you thought to yourself angrily. Why did they have such odd bodily functions?

“Why?”

Castiel shrugged, “I do not know. Science has not caught up that far.”

“I don’t like it.”

This drew a laugh out of Castiel and your heart fluttered hearing the richness of it.

“Sleep can bring much needed rejuvenation.”

“I like sleep, I just don’t like air forcing its way out of me.”

“I think there’s a solution to that,” Castiel pointed out and then looked contemplative. His eyes flicked to the one bed and yours followed, realizing what he was thinking. Castiel looked uncomfortable before clearing his throat, "I can't sleep with my crew. And you can't sleep with them. So…” he trailed off, raising his eyebrows. You said nothing in return and he pressed on, “You can have the inside or the outside depending on what you're comfortable with." You still said nothing and Castiel sighed loudly. “Okay. I would prefer the outside, so I can be sure none of my crew comes in and tries to harm you. They're afraid of you."

“More like disgusted,” you quipped before you could stop yourself.

“That too.”

His honesty surprised you.

His smile was a sad one. “You eat human hearts. You can’t blame them of being afraid and simultaneously disgusted, море*.”

“What?”

Castiel realized what he’d said. He stammered, heat creeping up his neck. “I’m… shit.” He sighed loudly and told you reluctantly, “It’s… it’s what I call you.”

What he calls you. He had a name for you even when he didn’t know what to call you.

You were curious. “Does it mean anything?”

He still looked extremely uncomfortable about divulging but he humored you, “The sea.”

The sea. The most important thing to a pirate.

“Not mermaid?”

Castiel inhaled sharply. There was no way to explain to her without making him come off as unhinged. When he was on the sea, all he thought about was her. There was only one mermaid like her and although there were many seas, she was the only thing that mattered in them to him. She was the sea.

He played it off, “Would you prefer mermaid?”

“Depends on how it sounds. I’m sure it’s better than creature.”

“Yes, Русалка** sounds better than существо***. No matter the context.” Another short pause before he stood up from the chair. “I know this isn’t ideal circumstances and I do not wish to make you uncomfortable. So, if you would prefer, I could actually sleep on the floor and – “

You cut him off immediately, “No.” He stopped and gave you a curious look. “Do you imagine what it would seem like to your crew if they happened to walk in and you were sleeping on the floor with me in your bed? Plus, it is your bed. I do not wish to rob you of a good night’s sleep. I could sleep on the floor.”

“No,” Castiel cut you off in turn. “Like I said, I would like to be able to sleep soundly that you are safe.”

Then it was settled. You were going to sleep in bed with him and although you had no qualms about the whole thing, he seemed to be concerned with how comfortable you were.

“I’m getting that there is something tied into males and females sharing beds in the human world,” you commented standing up. Castiel was at your side in an instant and you trembled feeling his fingers ghost your hand.

As he led you towards the bed, he confirmed, “Yes. Chastity and all.” You furrowed your brow at the foreign word and Castiel explained, “Virginity. It is improper for two unmarried people to sleep together because it is assumed… something has to transpire.”

Thoughts of the two of you intertwined flashed across your mind. You felt a burn thinking about his lips tracing your skin and you had to push them back down, afraid he could read it on your face.

“Hmm,” you said outloud and then added, “Self-control must be lacking in many humans.”

And was apparently lacking in you as well with how quickly the want had been flamed in you just by the mere mention of it.

Another laugh from him made you squeeze his hand slightly and he chuckled, “You could say that.”

Castiel slipped the robe from your shoulders and hung it on the back of a chair. “I am going to change if you would like to get yourself comfortable.”

You did as he asked, slipping underneath his bed covers, facing away to give him privacy. You heard him shuffling around the room and you kept fighting your mind that was trying to slip back into indecent thoughts of the curvature of his body.

The light in the room went down as he blew out a few of the large candles and your heart quickened as he drew near. The bed shifted next to you and you felt him not get under the covers. You turned your head to look at him and saw – with disappointment – he had grabbed another blanket to cover himself with.

“Thank you for the warm blankets,” you commented before turning back towards the wall.

“Of course,” Castiel said gently and you felt him shift, trying to get himself comfortable. “Good night, Y/N.”

Another human custom you surmised. “Good night.”

There was only a foot between the two of you, but it felt like a mile. You wanted to be closer and you had such a mixture of feelings about it, it was threatening to burst out of you.

You curled up near the wall, clutching the heavy blanket to your chin. You felt the bed shift next to you as Castiel made himself comfortable.

The two of you laid there listening to the other one’s breathing, wondering if the other one was ready to fall asleep first.

Your sisters would hate you, sneer at your behavior. But… he felt right. He cared about you.

And you knew it was because you had weaved yourself into his essence so many years ago. You would never fully leave him, and it was a false love. All he wanted to do was be with you, in your arms, and you would swim him to his death and he wouldn’t care because you were holding him.

You didn’t doubt he would let you go back to the water as long as you were full and whole, and he could hear your voice again. Fall into the sweet, entrancing sound and feel his heart swell at the inflection. He would come to you willingly and lay his lips on yours, giving himself to you fully.

That was not love. You’d poisoned him.

And your drive to be near him was pure selfishness.

When he drifted off to sleep, you heard him exhale in a quiet breath, “Моя морская песня****.”

* Sea, Russian  
** Mermaid, Russian  
*** Creature, Russian  
**** My sea song.


	4. You Could Use Her

You were back home. It was Althea’s birthday, the youngest in your pod. You’d made her such a beautiful present. You didn’t remember finishing it but there it was in front of you. She’d wanted a new ring so badly and you’d scavenged around ships farther away than you normally traveled.

Her face lit up when you handed it to her and…

And…

Your eyes opened.

“Althea?” you whispered quietly, waiting for a response, rubbing at your eyes.

You blinked away your surprise, trying to figure out where you were. There was no water anywhere, you were surrounded by air. You sat upright quickly, panic rushing through you.

The ship. You were on Castiel’s ship.

Human rest was so unlike your normal rest. Your whole body went to sleep, falling into a dark, soft cloud. You ceased to be for hours.

And… whatever had transported you home. And snapped you back in a second’s notice.

It frightened you.

Looking over, you saw Castiel was nowhere to be found. There was a note telling you to eat breakfast, but you ignored it. You snatched his robe off of the hook and wrapped it around yourself.

Walking was still difficult, but you forced yourself to the door. To your surprise, there was only one young man standing guard. He jumped to attention when you threw the door open, looking disheveled.

“Cas – the captain,” you sputtered.

Sputtering in return, the man told you, “He’s on deck. But –”

You ignored whatever he was going to say and made your way towards the stairs. When you stumbled trying to go up the stairs, the man grabbed you, steading you. You resisted the urge to slap his hand away and allowed him to guide you. It didn’t even dawn on you that he didn’t seem apprehensive about touching you.

It was bright when you came up to the deck, causing you to squint against the early morning sun. You didn’t have to search the ship because Castiel was at your side immediately.

He noticed how anxious you were and immediately demanded, “What happened?”

“I was… I was home,” you told him confused, still looking around, your eyes searching the deck and the ocean that laid beyond it. Where was home? How had you come back so quickly?

Castiel’s forehead was creased, looking at you concerned.

You swallowed sharply and stammered, trying to explain yourself, “I don’t know… I was at home. I was at my sister’s birthday. And I opened my eyes and then I wasn’t.”

You sounded crazy, you knew it.

His features softened, and realization dawned on him. He wasn’t looking at you like you were crazy and you found some comfort in that. “Y/N… do you dream? When you sleep?”

It was your turn to look confused, furrowing your brow. Dream? Yes, you had day dreams and wishes of what you could do. Nodding, you said, “I have dreams.”

“But when you sleep?”

Something fell into place. You shook your head, “No… do you?”

Castiel nodded and told you, “Humans dream when they’re asleep. It seems real. You don’t know you’re dreaming until you wake up. Something is always off in the dream. Like being somewhere you weren’t when you fell asleep. Or seeing someone who has passed away. Or doing something unnatural like flying. But, when you’re in the dream, it doesn’t seem off. It seems real.”

You hadn’t really been home then. Your mind had been playing tricks on you. Your shoulders slumped, disappointment washing over you.

Gesturing with the cock of his head for his men to leave, the two of you were left alone.

It hit you that you were up on deck and Castiel didn’t seem worried about it in the slightest. Your eyes moved to the railing, the desire to dive back to the sea thrumming underneath your skin again, stronger this time. The smell of home was so close…

Castiel stepped closer, reading your expression, and told you quietly, “I wouldn’t do that, Y/N.” Narrowing your eyes, you stared at him, demanding an answer. “It won’t work the way you are planning.”

You humored him, “How so?”

“You won’t change back. At least, not for awhile.”

The words hit you like a ton of bricks and it must have shown on your face. Because Castiel looked sorrowful, guilty when he saw your expression change.

“What do you mean?” the words stuck in your throat.

“They cursed that net and that dart they hit you with. They told me.” He swallowed and muttered, “I took measures to punish them for bringing you aboard this ship. And I apologize it cannot be more severe, but I need to keep order on my ship and not overreact.”

You said nothing to this, the overwhelming feeling of wanting to cry creeping up on you. How bad was this going to get for you? What more bad news was going to come your way?

“Y/N… if you need a moment, I can accompany you back downstairs. My men located a couple of dresses we found in a trunk –”

“No,” you interrupted him, closing your eyes. You didn’t know what you wanted right now but you knew you didn’t want to be smothered underneath the boards of this ship. You needed the fresh air.

Castiel closed his mouth, somewhat surprised. He was not normally interrupted, but this was a different circumstance.

“I’ll stay up here if that’s alright,” you got out, opening your eyes again.

Nodding, Castiel said, “Of course.” He paused for a moment before saying, “I need to attend to a matter.” You acknowledged this with a slight nod and he told you, “I’ll be nearby if you need something.”

His eyes lingered on you for a few more moments before he turned on his heel and walked away from you.

You let out a shaky breath, the weight of all of it coming down on you. You couldn’t cry in front of all these pirates though, it would give them too much satisfaction to see you upset. Clenching your jaw, you forced yourself to turn around and go towards the stairs leading up to the upper deck. You sat down, holding onto one of the pillars on the railing.

The salty wind blew across your face, your hair fluttering. It was chilly. You swam through cold waters all the time, but this was a new type of chill. You seemed to be faring better than a lot of the men though, many of them shivering unlike you. Perhaps your ability to withstand the cold still remained within you.

You got the feeling of someone watching you and your eyes shifted to look around you.

The young man who had helped you up here was looking at you curiously and immediately ducked his head when he saw you had caught him staring. You didn’t break your gaze on him, daring him to come over. If they wanted to stare at you like you were an animal in a cage, they should own up to it.

He raised his head again and saw you still looking at him. You thought he was going to retreat but to your surprise, he pushed himself off the railing of the ship and started walking towards you. He was more bold than you had written him off as.

There were eyes following the man when he approached you, scrutinizing and judgmental.

“May I sit?” he asked when he reached you.

You were suspicious of his motives but nodded anyway. He sat on one of the crates nearby, keeping his distance. His eyes ran over you, looking interested rather than lewdly. You suspected the distance was more out of respect for your personal space than nervousness on his part.

“What man can live and say he talked to a mermaid?” he said in explanation of his presence.

“So, I’ll be made into a bragging story,” you said scornfully, turning your gaze back out towards the water. Bold and rude, you thought to yourself.

“I don’t agree with it. I agree with the captain.” You looked back at him and he continued, “You’re still a person.”

“Not a monster?”

“You don’t look like a monster. And your intelligence separates you from animals.”

You neglected to tell him that humans were as much animals as you were. His compliment seemed to come from a place of sincerity and you didn’t feel like getting into a debate.

“You can’t sing anymore?” His curiosity was getting the best of him.

“No.”

“That’s unfortunate.”

“Don’t you know what my voice does?”

“’Course I do. I was just curious about it is all. And it must feel like a piece of you is missing.”

It was true. There was something hollow in your chest, like a piece of you was gone. And now knowing you were stuck like this for the mother knows how long… You had nothing to say to that though. How could you put it into words?

“I’m sure the captain will find some way to get you back home.”

What was this kid’s problem? Why was he so hopeful for you to regain yourself? It was throwing you off that he seemed so… kind. Unlike Castiel, this man wasn’t bewitched by you, so this extension of a friendly hand came unprovoked.

You stayed silent, putting up a guard again. It was making you uncomfortable that a human was acting like you were something to have a conversation with, not be terrified of.

He seemed to pick up on your uneasiness and he smiled softly. “I hope you can warm up and talk to me more. I’ll leave you alone for now though.” He stood up from the crate. “My name is Jack by the way.”

It felt incredibly impolite to not respond, so you told him curtly, “Y/N.”

“Good day, Y/N.” He gave you one more smile before turning on his heel and going back to his post to resume his work. Your eyes followed him across the ship, wondering what his end goal was.

<> <> <>

They had left you confusing things with the dress and you’d refused to put them on after trying to figure them out to no avail. You’d sat to eat breakfast, slowly, wanting to fill the time until Castiel came back.

It was hours before he returned. You’d exhausted yourself trying to understand what was in the book he had been reading. You’d seen humans with them before but the scratchings inside made no sense to you. You were relieved to see him, tossing the book aside on the table.

Castiel stopped seeing that and he flicked his eyes between you and the book. “Can you read?” he inquired.

Exhaling, you told him frustrated, “No. It doesn’t make sense.”

“Hmm,” was all Castiel said in response to that. You had a feeling he was tucking that information away for later and you realized maybe you should have lied. His eyes went towards the bed and a smirk appeared on his face. “Don’t care for the corset? Don’t feel bad. Women don’t like it either. It’s extremely uncomfortable I hear.”

“Then why do they wear it?”

“Because it’s fashionable and they’re expected to.”

“That sounds like an awful reason to wear it if you don’t like it.”

Simpering at your bluntness, Castiel agreed, “Yes, it is.” Moving towards you, he picked up an apple from the bowl on the table, taking a large bite. “We will find some better fitting clothes for you when we are at port.”

“You… want me to go ashore… with all those humans?”

“They won’t harm you.”

“They want to skin me,” you protested.

“They won’t harm you,” Castiel repeated. “My men have been instructed to stay quiet about you. And if one of them happens to slip, I’ll find out who it was, and I’ll cut them from my crew. Plus, if they claim that and people insist you go to water, you know nothing will be proven except that they are crazy. Your legs will remain.”

The thought made you sad.

“What do you wish me to do on land?”

Castiel cocked his head, “To accompany me.”

You didn’t like the idea of being off the ship. It was too much already to take all of this in. The thought of being on land, surrounded by humans that would be terrified and call for your head if they knew what you really were was not your idea of a good time.

Sighing, Castiel sat down by you and reached out, touching your hand. Your heart skipped a beat, feeling his skin on yours. “I promise I won’t let any harm come to you.”

Meeting his eyes, you were caught in his again, that icy blue piercing to your soul. They were an anchor for you in this strange place and you detested it on some level. You couldn’t hurt him now, couldn’t escape without feeling remorse for his feelings. Especially now that you’d met him, spoke with him… fantasized about laying with him, much to your embarrassment still.

“How long?”

“Tomorrow evening at the latest.”

That wasn’t a lot of time to prepare but what else could you do?

Castiel pulled away and you longed to have actually held his hand. Taking another bite of apple, he reached out, grabbing his book. His eyes ran over the cover and he swallowed, looking deep in thought.

“If you would like to learn, I can have that arranged. I have an extremely patient and surprisingly literate man in my crew.”

“It would help pass the time,” you said, leaving off the part about until you could go back home. Again, you felt guilty about thinking about returning home.

Castiel smirked again, “I’m sure it would. I will speak to him about it. In the meantime, have you eaten?” You nodded and he replied, “Good. I’ll just grab something quick. If you would like, you can join me on deck. Unless you’re more comfortable down here.”

“I’ll come up,” you said quickly, not wanting to be left alone again.

The smile on Castiel’s face was a satisfied one.

<> <> <>

“I’m not going to skin her, Nicu. We’ve been over this.”

Castiel was standing off from Y/N when Nicu had approached him, asking if he could have a word. His eyes kept traveling back to her, sitting on the deck, watching the ocean. He watched the way her hair moved around her face and her tranquil expression being in the fresh air with a view of the sea.

“We haven’t been over what are you going to tell your men,” Nicu stated quietly, catching Castiel’s attention again. “You letting a piece of bounty go without even –”

Castiel cut him off angrily, “She’s not bounty.”

Nicu sighed, “Not to you, captain. But to your crew, she’s payday.”

“We will find something else. Something that’ll quench their thirst.”

Silence fell between the two of them. Nicu shifted and Castiel could sense there was something he wanted to say.

“What?”

“I was thinking of a solution for you, sir. You could use her.”

Castiel narrowed his eyes and repeated, “What?”

“She can dive deep, captain.” Realization washed over Castiel’s face. Nicu pressed on excitedly, “There are many sunken ships. Full of treasure possibly.”

Shaking his head, Castiel immediately shut the idea down, “She would swim away.”

“I thought you had a connection.”

“We do,” Castiel snapped but then his angry expression melted to remorse. “But…”

Nicu didn’t need Castiel to finish that thought. “It’s an option. A good one, if I say so myself, sir. There is no way they will not retaliate for you refusing them bounty from something they fished from the sea. She means nothing to them. All they see is gold when they look at her. Tell them they caused the delay in reaping the benefits since they took away the ability for her to regain her original form. What makes more sense? Using her once or using her hundreds of times?” Pausing, Nicu weighed how he wanted to phrase what he said next as delicately as possible. “Perhaps you could find out how to bind her from that same witch doctor they got the net from –”

This enraged Castiel, and he closed the distance between them. His eyes were ablaze as he snarled, “I’m not going to bind her, Nicu! She’s already been through enough!” Nicu clenched is jaw and Castiel exhaled, trying to calm himself. “I’ll think about how to approach this. I think you could be onto something but… I need to think.”

Satisfied with what he got, Nicu gave a stiff nod. “I’ll support you, captain.”

<> <> <>

Your knuckles were white, clutching the railing. You were standing near where you would be lowered a dingy and taken to the land. Your eyes were set on the shore, filled with man made light from their lanterns and the boisterous bustling of the crowd on the docks. You would be swallowed up by that crowd. Maybe that was a good thing if you could remain anonymous but if it swayed the other direction…

Castiel drug you from your thoughts, appearing by your side.

“Are you ready?”

“Are we coming back to the ship?”

He gave you a small smile, “If that’s what you desire.”

Your heart sank, realizing he would only do it if you asked him to. It wasn’t his first choice. “Did you not plan on it?”

Not lying to you, he admitted, “I do like a night or two in a bed that’s not moving with the waves every once in a while.”

This statement calmed you down a little, and you jested, “That doesn’t sound like something a pirate – especially a captain – should admit.”

Leaning in close, Castiel told you, “For some reason, I have reason to believe you’re good at keeping secrets.” He winked at you and you stirred, giddy and foolish. He reached his hand out and with some effort, you got yourself to let go of the railing and take his hand.

“If you get uncomfortable, let me know,” he told you before moving to help you get into the small boat.

The ride over was a slow one, being powered by the men alone. You leaned over the side of the boat a little, wishing you could see what was underneath but it was so dark and the water was like a mirror, reflecting the lights of the upcoming city. You let your hand drag along the surface of the water momentarily and your heart clenched feeling it.

That all too familiar feeling of eyes on you hit you and you looked back around the boat. The men were keeping an eye on you as you rowed, apprehensive. Something flashed in a few of their eyes when they realized you had touched the ocean and not returned to your mermaid form. Anger flared up within you, imagining their satisfaction that you were indeed trapped.

But it melted away when you caught Castiel’s eyes next to you. His eyes weren’t satisfied, they were perturbed. You sat square again, placing your hands in your lap, your dry hand cradling your wet one. He’d been afraid that you would change back for a different reason than the rest of the men on the ship. You were still for the rest of the duration of the trip.

When you exited the ship, you held out your still wet hand when he reached for you, and Castiel’s eyes fell on it. He only hesitated for a moment before his hand closed in on it.

You stayed close to him, clutching his hand and arm tightly. Your eyes swam around your surroundings, trying to take everything in at once, which was impossible. There were pirates, ladies, horses, men moving cargo, scantily clad women calling for men passing by… One woman enticed a man closer, showing her breasts for a brief moment, letting out a crow of approval when he leaned forward, pulling her to his lips.

Unable to help yourself, your eyes moved to Castiel’s lips as the two of you walked. You’d kissed human men before, but not romantically. You wondered what it would feel like. You wondered what he would feel like.

Castiel felt you looking at him and you averted your eyes, blush creeping.

Taking a right, he led you towards a large building, where people were overflowing from.

“Dinner,” he explained, leading you up the stairs.

You brushed by people, trying to inch closer to Castiel. Your heart was hammering when you crossed the threshold into the loud room. There were a lot of tables, patrons, an upstairs that lead to a bunch of doors.

Castiel led you over to a table, enclosed by tall backs on the benches, along the wall and let you have the inside. When he slid into the seat next to you, you relaxed a little, feeling safer with him blocking you from the rest of the room.

Your fingers were still digging into his arm, and he rested his hand on top reassuringly. Releasing your grip, you watched him tell Nicu, “Just the usual.”

Nicu nodded, disappearing from view into the crowd.

“You’ll like it,” Castiel reassured you and you forced a smile.

<> <> <>

Across the tavern, tucked in a corner, two men sat, facing each other. They were opposites of each other: one dark haired, with soft hazel eyes and the other with dusty blonde hair and bright green eyes.

They were indulging in a couple of beers but no more. This place reeked of debauchery and made it the perfect hunting ground for them. Things that went bump in the night couldn’t refuse the temptation to unleash themselves in a place like this.

Sam and Dean Winchester. The two were notorious for their hunting skills and were skilled in their handling of magical artifacts as well as using it to capture certain monsters.

It had been quiet so far, unlike the previous night. They had caught a djinn weaving its way through the crowd and followed it when it had chosen its prey. Its death had been swift but painful. Dean made sure of that. He had a personal vendetta against djinn ever since he’d been captured by one and subjected to its dark magic.

But it was about to get a little more eventful.

Dean’s medallion began to glow in his bag on the table, and his eyes snapped up, surveying the room. That medallion reacted whenever something nonhuman was in close proximity.

“What is it –” Sam began to question before he spotted the glowing amulet. His eyes widened in surprise but then anticipation crossed his fingers.

“We got something,” Dean said, an excited smile painted on his face.


	5. Get Out of the Water

You weren’t going to leave this tavern since there were bedrooms upstairs. You ate slowly, keeping your eyes on everyone in the room, and especially those that came close to your table.

Reaching out for the drink Nicu had brought back to the table, you took a large drink. Immediately, you half gagged, half choked on the liquid that burned down your throat.

Castiel’s silverware fell to the table when he saw you choking. “Water!” He barked at Nicu, who left the table immediately. To you, Castiel said, “Take a bite of your bread. It’ll help.” You did as he instructed and although it was minimal, it did help a little. “I suppose I should have told you that you should’ve started with small sips.”

“That would’ve been helpful.”

“You’ll get used to it the more you drink it.”

“I don’t like it.”

“I’m sure you would if you just took it slow. It’ll warm you up.”

You refrained from arguing further with him since Nicu returned to the table, a mug in his hand. He handed it to you and you took a long drink, happy to have just plain water.

“Don’t like brandy, do you?” Nicu asked you, sliding back into the booth. You shot him a glare and put your water glass back down. “I should’ve said something. You’ve probably never drank it before. Perhaps ale then?” Castiel nodded and he got up from the table. “I can grab it, captain.”

“Eat. I’m fine.”

Your chest tightened as you watched him walk away, disappearing in the crowd. You didn’t like that he left you – regardless if it was with someone he trusted. When your gaze landed on Nicu across the table, you saw he was looking you over, a scrutinizing look.

“Is there something I can help you with?” you asked him, your voice tense.

“You’ve bewitched my captain.”

“Is that not my nature?”

“I trust him. I’ve always trusted his judgement. Until this…” This. He meant you. Huffing slightly, you picked up your fork, shoving a forkful of potatoes in your mouth. Nicu spoke again, “Are you going to make me mistrust his judgement?”

Staring him down, you told him firmly, “I don’t plan to.”

There was a moment of silence between the pair of you, each staring the other one down. Nicu’s eyes spotted Castiel coming back through the crowd and told you reluctantly, “I suppose I will just have to take ya word on that.”

Castiel sat by you once more and placed another mug in front of you. He noticed the tension in the air and looked back and forth between the two of you.

“Is there something wrong?”

“No, sir,” Nicu told him nonchalantly, picking up his fork.

His eyes landed on you and you put up the same façade, “No.”

Castiel did not look convinced but accepted it, diving back into eating his food again. You picked up the new mug, taking a small sip. Yes, ale was far more bearable than brandy.

<> <> <>

Castiel’s breathing was deep; you watched his chest rise and fall, his face bathed in moonlight. He truly was breathtaking, and your hand barely skimmed his arm, aching for more. You’d insisted on sharing the same blanket and if he thought it improper, he kept it to himself. You believed deep down, he was happy you had asked.

Suddenly, you were all too aware of the quiet hum coming in through the ajar window.

There was singing coming from the water.

Mermaids didn’t usually come this far inland to a lagoon in pods, but they were there nonetheless.

Shifting slowly, you crawled out of the bed, leaving Castiel. He stirred ever so slightly, and you paused for a few moments. He inhaled deeply, settling back into the mattress, his breathing relaxing again.

It was easier now, walking. You’d caught on quickly and you were careful where you stepped, avoiding creaks in the hardwood. Throwing your jacket on, you moved to the door and left the room soundlessly. You hoped he didn’t wake up while you were gone.

You just wanted to get down there to be able to relay a message.

The streets were far less crowded now, yet you were careful to avoid bumping into anyone or conversing. A few men came close, taunting you with their lewd words. You merely ignored them, walking faster. One was bold enough to grab your arm and yanked you to him.

“Let me go!” you snarled at him, your heart hammering in your chest. He was bigger than you and drunk. You dug your nails into his skin, hoping to draw blood.

“Bitch!” he shouted, shoving you away from him. You didn’t know what the word meant, but you didn’t miss the malice and venom behind it.

One of the women sitting on a porch, called out, “Ya obviously didn’t take a hint, Morgan! She isn’t interested!”

You took him being distracted by this other woman to slip on down the street, away from his dirty hands and ill intention. That would be a man you would have no problem ripping out his heart.

Maybe you shouldn’t have left the hotel alone. Maybe you should have woken Castiel up and had him come with you. But, you also didn’t want to risk him being entranced by their song. You were afraid you wouldn’t have been able to stop him from going into the water. You wouldn’t have been able to sing to him to call him back.

Still, this was dangerous, and it made you move quicker. You had to come back too. Maybe you would grab a large rock down at the beach to carry back with you as a weapon.

You found your way to the beach, the sound of their melody louder than ever.

Movement caught your eye on the water and you barely saw a head go under the water. You knew a human on the island had succumbed and walked the way to their death to follow their voices. If only you were so weak, you would’ve been in the same predicament.

Part of you was afraid they would mistake you and drag you under. You wouldn’t be able to swim away from them, ever conscious that you were going to die. Maybe they would recognize your struggle. With humans, there was never a struggle, they were comfortable with death under the spell of your voices.

Putting your jacket on a rock, you went to remove your dress. No need to get your clothes wet, especially since you meant to crawl back into bed with Castiel.

Your feet touched the water and you glided in, slowly. You wanted to draw a mermaid in. They didn’t typically take women but if you were so readily available.

The waves moved lazily past you; you were in halfway up your stomach now. You could hear their lullaby, but none of them were in sight. Moving stealthily was essential to luring in victims.

Finally, a head broke the surface of the water near you. And thankfully, you recognized her.

“Y/N?” she gasped, her singing ceasing on a dime. The other mermaids followed her lead, silence echoing across the water.

She pulled herself up onto the rock near you, her tail dangling in the water. Her eyes ran over you concerned, seeing you so deep in the water and still very much human. A few more of them appeared, swimming close to get a good look at you.

Your heart ached seeing them, in the form you were supposed to be in, especially when you were this far into the ocean. The salt water licked at your skin, tingling but unfulfilled.

“Thoe,” you breathed out, meeting her eyes once more.

She cut in quickly, “Where have you been? Why are you human? Your sisters have been worried sick!”

So many questions at one time.

And you needed to be careful about what you said. You didn’t want your sisters to come after the ship – after Castiel. You couldn’t give away his identity or the ship.

“I’m safe. But there’s been complications.”

“Complications?”

You needed to give a little, “I can’t return to the sea for a little while. As you can see.” You gestured down to your human form submerged in the sea.

“What happened?”

“A spell. I was caught off guard.”

“Then how are you safe?”

“There is a…” you paused, before exhaling sharply. What better way to keep him safe if they thought you wanted to be with him? “A man.”

A look exchanged between them all before Thoe scolded, “Y/N, this is dangerous. How can you trust him? He knows what you are?” You nodded. “Y/N, your sisters will come for you. You cannot be with a mortal. They are beneath us. And if you say you were caught off guard, how are you –”

“He saved me from them. Protected me,” you cut her off.

<> <> <>

Something dragged Castiel from his slumber and his eyes slowly opened, a loud exhale leaving his lips. The room was dark, moonlight pouring in from the window as well as the salty sea air.

Shifting, he went to turn on his side to look at Y/N but stopped, frozen, when he saw her side of the bed was empty.

Castiel shot up, the blankets falling to his lap. His eyes searched the room frantically, hoping to find her in a chair next to the window or somewhere else. But she was nowhere to be found.

He scrambled out of bed, gathering his clothes, throwing them on messily. In his scramble, he noticed her coat was gone and so were her shoes.

What was she doing going out on her own?

And what if she wasn’t coming back?

He threw his door open, snatching his key off the entrance table and shoving it in his pocket. There was nothing else of value in the room, so he didn’t bother locking it. Flying down the hall to where Nicu was staying, he banged on the door.

“Nicu!” he shouted through the door, much to the annoyance of the other people trying to sleep in the hostel.

<> <> <>

Thoe looked unimpressed. “Y/N… this is foolishness. You cannot stay.”

“I have to. For a little while at least. I just wanted you to know – and you could tell my sisters – that I was fine. I will return home, I promise. I just need time.”

“For what?” Thoe asked you, sounding frustrated.

Suddenly, she hissed at something over your shoulder and you whipped around. Your eyes widened seeing two men on the beach, guns aimed around you. One of them shot their gun at the water, hitting Thoe in her arm. Her cry of pain pierced your soul and she dove off the rock, underneath the water, a trail of blood bubbling on the surface.

“Get out of the water!” the long haired one shouted at you, wading into the water for you.

Your eyes snapped back to the water, and your heart sank seeing all of them had dispersed. You only had a few moments to hope that they would do as you asked, letting your sisters know you were alive and well before he was on you, dragging you out of the water.

He dragged you to shore, and the other short haired one was waiting with your dress.

“Put this on,” he told you gruffly. You were still flabbergasted about who they were and what they’re intentions were, so you merely stared at him, holding your arms tightly around yourself. He said, “It’s cold, put it on! You need to calm down.”

Calm down? They were the ones freaking out.

You did as he asked though, throwing the dress over your head and positioning it. You took your jacket second, watching him hesitantly. They obviously didn’t like mermaids and they were on a mission to kill. Or, maybe perhaps they just saw you in the water with them and decided to be heroes. But, how were they not affected?

As soon as you were dressed, they began walking with you quickly back up the beach towards the main walkway. They were silent the whole way and you kept stealing glances at them. They were handsome, rugged. And then you noticed the wax in their ears. No wonder they were not bothered by the singing. They’d taken precaution. But why? Most should know mermaids didn’t typically come in this far.

When you were far from the beach, they both reached up, removing the wax from their ears.

“What were you doing down near the beach by yourself? Or were you by yourself when you got down there?” The short haired one asked.

Finding your voice, you told him, “I was… the ocean. I wanted to be near it.”

They exchanged a look over your head, slowing down to come to a stop.

“A woman by herself in this town is not safe. Are you new here?” The long haired one asked.

“Yes.” It wasn’t a lie.

“Don’t go wandering around on your own. It’s not safe. And especially don’t go near the beach. Mermaids don’t usually come in that close but for some reason they did tonight. Luckily we saw some people wandering aimlessly towards the beach and were able to get our wax in quick enough. And we got to you,” the short haired one said to you. “They would’ve taken you under.”

“Dean.” The long haired one sounded nervous, on edge.

“What, Sam?”

Sam nodded at something on Dean’s chest and Dean looked down. You followed their gaze and saw they were staring down at the amulet, glowing on his chest. Their eyes met briefly again, their jaws set.

Suddenly their guns were pointed at you, you standing in between them.

You looked wildly between them, confusion etched on your face.

“What are you doing?” you asked them, your voice shaking. This is exactly what you had been afraid of, exactly what Castiel had said he would keep you safe from.

“What are you?” Dean demanded.

This had to do something with that amulet but you didn’t know how. And you couldn’t tell them because you were terrified of what they would do to you if they found out. You were so foolish, leaving Castiel behind. You should have woken him up. Or you shouldn’t have gone to the beach at all.

“What are you talking about?” you choked out.

Again, another look exchanged between them.

“You’re coming with us,” Dean growled. He stepped closer, his gun pointed close to your heart. Even if you were immortal, you could still die unnaturally, and you felt your knees go weak seeing him ready to kill you without a second thought.

“Get moving,” Sam snapped at you, giving you a shove.

Your heart and mind were racing, trying to figure out how to get yourself out of this as you fell into step beside Dean. He had holstered his gun, but his hand rested, waiting to pull it on you.

<> <> <>

“That’s where I am staying,” you croaked to them as you came up to the tavern.

Dean looked at Sam, “So it was her earlier.”

What did that mean?

Sam, to you, said, “You’re coming to our room.”

Your terror was growing, your mind running wild, thinking of how they were going to kill you. You pleaded with whoever was listening that you would get out of this situation alive.

Your pleas were answered seeing Castiel rush out the front door, Nicu on his heels. Without thinking, you started towards him, trying to rush away from the pair of the men.

To your dismay, Dean reached out, his hand closing down on your arm like a vice. “Where the fuck do you think you’re going?” he snapped at you, loud enough to get Castiel’s attention.

Castiel’s eyes met yours and you felt relief flood through your body. He would fix this. He was swift down the stairs, coming towards you with determination.

Sam noticed him first and he halted, his hand resting on his gun at his side.

“Back. Off.” Castiel snarled at them, coming to a stop close in front of you. “Y/N. Come on.”

They recognized Castiel immediately and Dean snorted, smug, his grip tightening on your arm, causing you to wince. This didn’t go unnoticed by Castiel, his eyes widening in anger. “You don’t know what you’re dealing with, captain. You have no idea what she is.”

Castiel’s voice cut like ice, “I know exactly what she is. And I’m going to repeat myself: back. Off.”

Sam and Dean looked surprised by his response and Sam scoffed, “And what is she?”

“That’s none of your concern. Let her go. Now,” Castiel’s hand moved to his gun, resting.

Narrowing his eyes at you, Sam studied you before realization dawned on his face. “You weren’t being drawn in by them… you were talking to them.”

Dean wasn’t convinced. “She was in the water, Sammy. She didn’t change.”

Your voice was small, you don’t know what compelled you to speak, “I can’t change back.”

“Y/N.” Castiel’s voice was sharp, and you knew he was ordering you to not speak further.

Still, the two men’s eyes narrowed, their grip and protection of you not wavering. Even for Castiel, who they obviously knew and respected.

Castiel had enough, raising his gun directly at Dean’s head, cocking it. Nicu had done the same immediately, knowing Castiel had reached his breaking point. He pointed his gun at Sam, his eyes fixated on him. Castiel’s voice was threatening, specifically at Dean who was laying his hands on you, “You touch a hair on her head, and I’ll make sure this bullet pierces you down the center of your skull.”

Between Nicu and Castiel pointing their guns at Sam and Dean, who were in return pointing their guns, you felt the pendulum find a resting place in between, waiting for the slightest upper hand to help it sway again. To what said was unknown.

“Don’t test me, boy,” Castiel growled at Dean.

After what felt like forever, Dean finally dropped his gun, taking his finger off the trigger. Sam followed his lead, however reluctantly, lowering his gun, glowering at Nicu.

You had begun to shiver, wet from the water and the ocean breeze running across your skin was chilling.

“Y/N.” Castiel was sure, wanting you to come back.

Dean’s hand fell from your arm and it took a few moments for you to coax your legs to move towards Castiel.

Castiel’s arm wrapped around you, his other arm still pointing the gun directly at Sam and Dean.

Turning you away, he began to walk with you, leaving Nicu to walk backwards, his eyes ever on Sam an Dean. You took comfort in Castiel’s embrace but felt he was off somehow.

“He’s bewitched,” Dean told Sam when they were alone.

“Obviously.”

Growling, Dean put his gun back in his holster and snapped, “We need to fix that.”


	6. That Sealed It

Castiel’s grip was tight on you as the two of you entered the tavern again, you struggling to keep up with his fast pace. Nicu was at your back, making sure those two men didn’t follow to see which rooms you all were staying in.

As soon as you were upstairs in Castiel’s room, he rounded on you, “What were you thinking?”

His tone was harsh and it was like a slap to the face. You didn’t like him angry with you. “There were mermaids. I just wanted to talk,” you desperately tried to explain to him.

Nicu snorted from behind you and you threw a glare over your shoulder at him. You wanted to smack the disgruntled look off his face.

Castiel drew your attention in again, snapping, “About what? Why couldn’t you wake me up? You shouldn’t have gone alone!”

“I wanted them to know I was okay. To let my sisters know. They must be worried sick…” you trailed off, your shoulders slumping slightly, thinking about this fact yet again. “If they can have a little good news, it’ll relax them. And that’ll relax me.”

“Or they’ll come here for vengeance.” Nicu again.

You said indignantly, “I told them I wanted to be here! I highly doubt they’ll come for blood if those were my words instead of something like ‘rescue me’, don’t you think?”

Shrugging, Nicu responded coolly, “I don’t know, miss. I’m not a mermaid. I don’t know their nature.”

Huffing, you were going to retort something but Castiel asked again in a firm tone, “Why didn’t you wake me up, Y/N? I could have gone with you if you would have just asked me!”

This was a time to be honest. You said, “You would have fallen under their spell and walked into that water. And I wouldn’t have been able to do anything! I can’t sing! It would’ve been foolish for me to ask you to go with me!”

Castiel’s features softened and Nicu sensed the caving that was about to come. He stepped closer to Castiel, “Captain –”

“Leave us.”

Nicu rose his eyebrows in surprise before trying again, “Captain –”

“Leave us!” Castiel repeated, more firmly. “That’s an order!”

Pursing his lips, Nicu stared Castiel down before nodding stiffly. His gaze was burning when he passed you and he slammed the door when he left the room. Castiel moved past you and locked the door, his hand resting on the handle.

“I’m sorry. I swear I just wanted to send a message to my sisters,” you told him quietly after a few moments.

“Those are hunters out there, you know.” Your forehead creased in confusion and his hand dropped from the door handle as he turned to face you. The expression on his face and demeanor had completely changed from moments ago. He wasn’t angry, he was worried. “Those men. They’re some of the best. I should have been more careful – more vigilant about making sure there were none close by. Especially them.”

“They hunt mermaids?”

“Not just mermaids. All sorts of… things that aren’t human.” You had a feeling he had been about to use a different word but changed his phrasing. “They could tell you weren’t human. And now you’ve piqued their interest.”

Confused, you said, “But, they know I’m with you. You told them that.”

Giving a humorless laugh, Castiel said, “They are not ones to give up so easily. It doesn’t matter what I say. They know what you do. I’m sure they think…” he trailed off for a moment, looking into your eyes before picking up again. “They know that I’m under a spell.”

So, he believed what you did. His interest and drive to see you again and keep you was because of your song. Did he care about that though? And could you put aside your feelings of guilt and give in to what you felt for him?

What he told you frightened you. “You think they’re going to hurt me,” you said impassively though, not wanting him to know how the thought of those men coming after you affected you.

He looked reluctant to say, “I believe they’ll try. I won’t let it happen.” The two of you fell into silence, looking at each other warily. Castiel shook his head, “Do you understand why I was so upset? I couldn’t stand it if they had actually done it. What if they had killed you at the beach? I probably never would’ve known what had happened. I… I would’ve thought you had just left… that you had…” He trailed off.

A jolt of electricity flew through you and you blindly followed the feeling. And it was straight into Castiel’s arms, pressing your lips to his clumsily. He stood suspended in shock for a moment and your heart sank, thinking you had read him all wrong. But, his arms wrapped around you tightly, holding you tight to his chest, his lips sliding over yours hungrily.

Castiel melted immediately into you. You knew you had an effect on him, but it surprised you how powerful it was, him forgetting everything that had just happened at the taste of your kiss.

“I wasn’t trying to leave,” you gasped, trying to catch your breath, and he shook his head for an undiscernible reason.

The two of you were a mess of limbs, clothes dropping to the ground around you.

Castiel’s fingers fluttered over your nipples, squeezing one, drawing a small moan out of your mouth. His hands were exploring your naked form and you shivered, wanting him to hold you like this forever.

Pushing you back, Castiel helped you move backwards, half stumbling towards the bed. Your knees hit the bed and you went back, adjusting to let him crawl on top of you. His hard cock brushed your skin and you gasped against his mouth. All you wanted was him inside you. Castiel responded to your gasp, pressing down, his tongue sliding around yours, his hand tangled up in your hair.

It didn’t feel right when Castiel pulled away from you and instinctively you reached for him, holding onto his arms. He slowed his movement, taking time to kiss down your chest before straightening up, holding his cock in his hand to guide him into you.

The thought of your inexperience with human coitus crossed your mind and you pushed Castiel away slightly, staring up at him. His eyes were hooded with lust and he furrowed his brow at your hesitation.

“I… I don’t know how,” you told him, sounding small.

Castiel’s expression softened and he caressed the side of your face. “I’ll be careful. I promise. Just… tell me if you’re uncomfortable.”

As soon as you nodded, he swooped back down, grinding his pelvis against you, his tongue slipping back into your mouth. The head of his cock pressed past your folds and entered you slowly. You moaned against the intrusion, your fingernails digging into his back, and Castiel paused, letting you adjust. When your grip loosened ever slightly on his back, he pressed in further. You bit your bottom lip as he bottomed out. You pressed your face into the crook of his neck, your fingers wrapped up in his hair. You were so full.

“Are you alright?” he breathed against your ear, his nose nuzzling you.

He met your eyes, looking for a trace of a lie.

You rocked your pelvis slightly and breathed, “I want this.”

Castiel didn’t have to be told again. Pressing down on you, he moved in and out of you with patience at first but began increasing his pace when you responded positively. A wanton moan left your lips and your hands gripped his back, letting him take you.

“Мое море*,” Castiel grunted when he finished inside you, you shaking from your orgasm. It was a wonderful feeling and you wanted to stay in bed with him forever, pleasuring each other, feeling this ecstasy. Your bodies were covered in a sheen of sweat and your lips met, the kiss slow.

Castiel whispered, “Stay with me.”

You grinded against him, holding him close. “I will,” you whispered back.

How you wanted to.

\--

* Moya More-eh, my sea

<> <> <>

Castiel seemed on edge from those two men the night before, his eyes scouring the tavern and the stairs and hallways leading into the main room. He’d barely touched his breakfast since you sat down. At least you knew he’d slept well – or at least you believed he did – after he finished inside you, you clenching around him. And the second round had exhausted you.

You shot a look at him, the thought of him on top of you, cumming inside of you crossing your mind again.

He was focused elsewhere.

Nicu was watching him across the table, his eyes moving between the pair of you curiously. Some of Castiel’s men were seated at a table nearby, having been told they need to be on guard. One of the crew had been sent to find the rest that had come ashore and let them know as well.

“Castiel.” He turned his head to you instantly and you pointed out, “You haven’t eaten.”

His eyes trailed to his plate and he nodded, picking up his fork. Satisfied when he took a bite, you went back to your plate.

“How long are we staying, captain?”

“Not long. We just need supplies and some clothes for Y/N.” Nicu looked annoyed at this until Castiel said, “Plus, I believe you are in need of some new boots. You can come with us. I think you more than are owed them after the past few months.”

You wondered what had been going on the last few months. You’d only been with them for a couple weeks at most.

Acknowledging what he said, Nicu agreed, “I suppose I do.”

This caused Castiel to smirk and he shoved another forkful of food into his mouth.

<> <> <>

“I thought I didn’t have to have corsets.”

The women in the shop had been bringing dresses that were made already because there was no time to properly fit you. You were trying on ones they believed were close to your size. They were nothing fancy but you didn’t need that. Different things to change into were what would make you happy.

You were unhappy to see the corsets that they brought out with the dresses though.

The woman directly helping you looked at Castiel with raised eyebrows, shocked at your words.

Clearing his throat, Castiel told you, “No. No, you don’t.”

This shocked the woman even more.

“But, sir, what about her frame? Her waist?”

Your frame?

“Her frame is fine. She’s managing fine without a corset now.” The woman looked alarmed to learn that you were in fact not wearing one, and Castiel didn’t seem to care. “Just the gowns. Y/N.” He nodded you towards the dressing rooms. To the woman, he dropped a bag of coin in her hand. “For your trouble and the gowns.”

She seemed to forget immediately the impropriety she had just bared witness too and took the gold happily, all smiles to help you.

<> <> <>

Outside the shop, Sam and Dean waited, making sure to stay out of sight.

They watched the way Castiel handled her, his gentle touch, the way his eyes ran over her.

“He’s so fucking possessed,” Dean groaned, throwing his hand out dramatically. He just wanted to go in guns blazing.

“But she didn’t change back!”

“She said she couldn’t, Sammy!”

“But why?”

“Who cares WHY! She’s a mermaid! She kills men. Castiel in there is going to get himself – and more than likely his whole goddamn crew – killed over a beautiful maiden.”

Sam didn’t look convinced. He was always the one who tried to play devil’s advocate to make sure they’d considered all angles. “Why would she sing to him though and then walk on land? They’re motive is to drag men into the sea.”

“Who knows how the hell monster brains function?” Dean responded irritably.

“What if she’s not harmful?”

Dean shot Sam a pissed off look, “I can’t believe that just came out of your mouth.”

“She’s buying dresses, Dean. She’s sleeping in taverns, having dinners. Walking around with a parasol. Does that sound like some monster who is leading out an elaborate evil plan?”

Shaking his head, Dean brushed Sam off annoyed, “I don’t know and I don’t care. We’re going to find some of his crew. Right now.”

<> <> <>

Castiel had requested that Y/N stay in her room, with the door locked and a guard outside while he spoke to a select few of the crew alone. When they were sure that no one could overhear their conversation in the main hall, Castiel began laying out the proposal that Nicu had presented him. He was careful to watch the expressions and body language of the men. That was more telling than anything they said.

Some looked uneasy about the proposition but the people who Castiel had been most worried about seemed calm. Kasim, Earcna and Eiji. The ones who had brought Y/N on the ship in the first place.

“She’d get us more bounty doing that than selling her scales once. But, I want this to be a crew decision so no one feels like they’re being cheated out of work,” Castiel finished.

He waited, watching their reactions. Looks were exchanged around the table, and Castiel waited patiently.

Kasim spoke first, “That could be good. Would bring in a lot of treasure…” He paused, before asking, “Do you think you can control her, captain?”

“I wouldn’t say control. I would say make a deal. She’s been more than reasonable so far.”

Kasim narrowed his eyes slightly, the others watching him.

“What have I got to lose?” Kasim finally said. “Not like I have much else going on for me.”

This caused the men to chuckle, the tension at the table dying away. They were all in the same boat as him and it was settled.

<> <> <>

“I need to ask something of you and I hate that I have to.”

Castiel had come back to the room, a mug of ale in his hand. He’d walked over to you sitting in one of the armchairs next to the open window. He held the mug out to you as he said this, and you took it from him, watching him closely.

“What is it?”

“I need you to help me.”

“With what?”

Sitting down in the chair next to you, he was silent, looking down at his hands. You reached out, your hand laying on top of his and he met your gaze again. You wanted to comfort him from whatever was troubling him.

“They captured you for a reason. They wanted bounty.”

“My scales they said.”

Nodding, Castiel continued, “I obviously do not want that.”

“Bodes well for me,” you quipped, trying to be funny and get him to relax.

His smirk was a fleeting one, one of humoring you rather than actually finding it amusing. He was serious, so your smile faded, trying to be respectful of his feelings.

“There’s no other way to say this, so, here goes. Nicu has suggested using you to scavenge ships. My men want bounty, they need to find treasure to keep being able to eat and buy things they don’t necessarily need. I can’t just… deny them that and take you from them. I don’t believe you’re their property, but they do. So, scavenging ships and rewarding them more than once will be more satisfactory for them.” Castiel paused, watching your reaction. “Nicu… He knows about… us. He knows I don’t want you dead. And he found a solution, I believe for me to… have you.”

“Have me.” It was a statement more than a question. It was what both of you wanted. It’s all you had been thinking about. “I would do this for you and you alone, Castiel.” His face lit up momentarily because you were about to tear everything back down. “But… we both know I have to go to the ocean to do this. And if I do, my sisters will sense my presence again. They’ll come.”

“Can you go to them and come back?”

“If they found out I was helping humans… I don’t know what they would do.”

Castiel’s heart was hammering in his chest. “You don’t have to tell them.”

“I can’t keep something like that a secret forever. They would notice I would be absent and often. They would follow me eventually.”

Grasping your hand, Castiel stared deep into your eyes. “Would they really deny you something that makes you happy?”

“My sisters would not accept this. Thoe was… not pleased with the idea of you and I. I can’t even imagine someone who is related to me would think.”

Castiel looked hurt. “Do you all think of humans so low?”

You couldn’t lie. “Yes.”

“Do you think of me that way?” It seemed to pain him to ask.

It was your turn to look hurt, “Do you think I would have laid with you if I did?” Your hand squeezed his as you whispered, “I love you.”

<> <> <>

That sealed it. Castiel had to have her.

He needed to visit the witch doctor that his crew had gone to. He needed to find a way to stay with her.


	7. Him Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FULL DISCLOSURE: Agwe and the chest is 100% based off of Tia Dalma in POTC

The tavern was in full swing again, the two hunters having to dodge tossed bottles and women trying to swindle them out of money. They’re focus was elsewhere, directly in front of them. Dean and Sam approached Eiji’s table, where he was dining alone after giving his captain approval to use the mermaid differently than he had originally planned.

His eyes traveled up to see who was there and realizing he recognized them as hunters but couldn’t put a name to their face, he exhaled. “May I help you two?” Eiji asked, annoyed that he was being bothered during his meal.

“May we sit?” Sam asked and Eiji begrudgingly agreed. Adjusting in the seat, Sam placed his hands on the table. “You sail with Castiel, do you not?”

Eiji’s eyes narrowed, moving between the two of them suspiciously. “I do. If you’re here to settle a debt with him, I think that speaking to him directly is more professional, no?”

Dean snorted, amused. “No, no debt.”

“Then what?”

“Your captain…” Dean said to Eiji, twirling a coin through his fingers.

“What of him?”

Hunters and pirates were at odds typically, so Eiji was not thrilled about being stalled by them.

“He’s got something in his company that’s not good for you.”

Eiji looked between the two of them and a smirk broke out on his face. Leaning in, he told them, “Would it surprise you to know that I helped ‘it’ get on board?”

Immediately, Sam and Dean’s faces fell slightly for a moment before recovering quickly.

“I imagine you have an idea or know what she is. But, don’t worry about it, hunters. She’s unable to sing. She’s of no threat to anyone.” He paused for dramatic effect before adding, “Or didn’t you know that when mermaids came on land?”

Dean and Sam exchanged a quick look, unnoticed by Eiji.

“It’s the rumor.”

“And it’s true.” He waved them off, picking up his silverware again. “She works for the captain, don’t worry about it.”

“He bound her?” Dean asked disbelievingly.

“That’s none of your business, hunter.”

Dean looked miffed at the rejection but before he could react, Sam spoke, “Then you feel safe?” Eiji grunted in response, trying his damndest to let them know he wanted to eat in peace. “I guess then this conversation is over.”

“You think?” Eiji asked, raising his eyebrows, before putting a piece of chicken into his mouth. He stared them both down, waiting impatiently for them to leave.

With a sour expression, Dean got up from the table, Sam following his lead. They walked off without saying a word, deciding the conversation didn’t deserve a polite departure.

“Perhaps we had this all wrong,” Sam told Dean when Eiji was out of earshot. “Possessiveness to own a mermaid? To bind her? Sounds like something some men would bite at the bit at.”

Annoyed, Dean snapped, “But what is he using her for?”

Sam looked uncomfortable and suggested uneasily, “Intimate… things?” Dean stopped on a dime and gave Sam a piqued look. “What? What do you think I meant by ‘possessiveness’? It might just be that simple!” Dean was still staring at him and Sam threw his hands out, scoffing. “Like you hadn’t thought of it!”

“Of course I had.”

“Then why are you looking at me like I’m psychotic?”

“Because. I never thought I would never be in a conversation where you were uncomfortable using the word sex. C’mon, Sammy, you’re over 30 years old.”

Sam frowned, irked.

“’Intimate things’,” Dean muttered to himself before walking off.

<> <> <>

Castiel spotted them before you did, and he stopped, pushing you behind him. Nicu stepped up as well, meeting Castiel at the shoulder to block you from their view.

“A word?” Dean asked Castiel. “Alone?”

Castiel was stoic, staring Dean down. He finally turned his head slightly and ordered Nicu, “Watch her.”

Following them a few feet away, Castiel came to a stop when Dean leaned up against a support pole for a building’s porch.

“I thought we had settled our business,” Castiel started in harshly.

“Not quite. I had to ponder and ponder how in the hell you felt comfortable having a mermaid aboard your ship. Around you, around your crew. She could jump off at any time and sing you all to your death,” Dean observed. “And then it came to me. You bound her.”

The lie came easily to Castiel, “I did.”

Sam inquired, “Do you think that’s wise, captain?”

“She acts out of line, I cut her throat.”

“Are you sure you can do that? I mean,” Dean said with a sly smile, nodding his head towards Y/N. “Look at her. Even I would have a hard time doing it with a face like that.”

Castiel didn’t waver at Dean’s quip. “I am sure, Winchester.”

The two of them squared off, staring the other one down.

Sam cleared his throat and caught Castiel’s attention again. “I hope whatever it is you’re using her for, it’s worth it if she turns on you.”

With a condescending tone, Castiel told him, “And I hope you two will leave me be after this conversation.”

Dean gave him an unfriendly smile before pushing himself up off the pole. He stepped closer to Castiel and said, “God speed, Castiel.”

Castiel stood still, watching the two of them leaving, his eyes sharp on them. He made sure they disappeared into the crowd before he turned back to return to Nicu and Y/N.

“We don’t have to worry about them anymore. Especially since we are leaving port,” Castiel informed the two of you when he approached again. He placed his hand on the small of your back, guiding you. The intimate touch did not go missed by Nicu.

<> <> <>

Castiel’s hands gripped your hips as you rotated, sliding up and down his length. He threw his head back, relishing in the feeling as your hands came down, pressing on his chest to give you more balance.

The only sounds in the room were the fire crackling, the tryst, and the waves outside the ship.

When Castiel smacked your ass, you moaned feeling his hands run up and down your sides greedily and roughly. In a fluid motion, he sat up, pulling you close, and flipped you onto your back.

Your leg curled up by his side as he entered you again. Holding his face close to yours, you ran your lips over his, slipping your tongue into his mouth. You wanted to drink him in. His lips left yours, kissing along your jawline roughly as he drove you into the bed.

You gasped out his name against his ear, coming undone beneath him. And with a few more thrusts, he grunted loudly, his cock twitching inside of you, coating your walls. Rolling off of you, he collapsed next to you and you immediately slid closer. It took him a couple moments to catch his breath before he turned to you, receiving your embrace.

You brought his fingers up to your mouth and kissed them softly, holding it tight.

“Stay,” Castiel whispered, as he had before, the two of you intertwined.

It was as if he expected to wake alone.

You curled your head down, to rest underneath his chin. “I’m staying.”

<> <> <>

Your hand traced the letters in ink, copying what Jack had written out for you. Your hand was getting better, but you were still dissatisfied seeing how clear and beautiful Jack’s writing hand was.

“This is where children start out,” Jack chimed in as you finished writing out a ‘z’.

Shooting him a look, you said, “That makes me feel like an idiot.”

“How else would you learn except from the beginning? It’s only logical,” Jack responded.

“I heard about the plan with you. Did you agree willingly?”

“Obviously. I would just swim away if they tried to force it on me.”

“Do you think it’s wise to send you into shipwrecks? What if there are sharks?”

“I can handle sharks. I’ve been doing it my whole life. And if this plan stops those men from wanting to skin me alive for profit, I think I’ll take this plan.” Jack was giving you a knowing look and you asked, “What?”

He just shook his head a little bit, a small smile playing at the corner of his lips.

“Well, I’m glad you’re staying,” he told you and then added, “And I’m sure the captain is too.” Narrowing your eyes at him slightly, you watched him closely. Jack noticed and chuckled, “It’s none of my business. But, I think it’s good you’re staying. For him.” You were silent and Jack added, “The man practically raised me. I can read him pretty well. He’s happy.”

You wondered how many of the other men noticed how ‘happy’ Castiel was with you. And wondered if that would bode well for either of you if it got out that you two were sleeping together. And that the captain cared for you past being an asset and vise versa.

Clearing your throat, you changed the subject, “When do I start learning how to put these letters together to make words?”

Jack didn’t seem offended that you’d blown off what he said, still smiling. It was one of triumph and you wondered if you had reacted exactly how he had wanted you to. He leaned in and said, “We’ll start with small words.”

<> <> <>

“Where are we going?”

You’d found Castiel on deck, tracing a chart at the helm.

“Witch doctor. Same one that… helped them do this to you,” Castiel told you, straightening up to face you.

Furrowing your brow, you asked, “For?”

Castiel hesitated before saying, “Help.”

“With what?”

He gestured for you to walk and you did so, keeping your eyes on him. He walked away from where others could hear him, and leaned against the rail. His voice was low when he told you, “I want to be with you without complications.”

“What could a witch doctor do?”

“A spell, perhaps.”

“For?”

Castiel smiled softly, “You have a lot of questions.” He saw that you were still expecting an answer and he finished, “It’ll be for me. And before you ask what for,” he saw your mouth starting to open again, “I’m not sure yet. I would like to discuss… options with her. Plus, we could ask her how to undo this for you.”

“It would make your crew happier if I could get to the treasure hunting sooner rather than later, wouldn’t it?”

“Yes, it would.”

“Jack is worried about me getting eaten by a shark,” you told him amused. Castiel, on the other hand, did not look amused by the idea. You chuckled, “Castiel, I’ve survived the ocean and all it’s sharks my entire existence.”

“Doesn’t quell my uneasiness.”

“Well, then I guess you’re just going to have to trust me then.”

Castiel studied your face, silence falling between the two of you for a moment. You gave him a small smile when his eyes met yours again and he told you sincerely, “I do.”

One of his men shouted for him over by the chart and Castiel tore his eyes away from you to acknowledge the man. “Excuse me,” he told you.

You nodded and he left your side, your eyes trailing off after him.

<> <> <>

It was quiet when the small boat docked. Castiel got out of the boat first, helping you out onto the wooden dock. He had you close to him as you began making your way down the trail, two men in front of the pair of you, with four behind.

The jungle was dark, the path lit by lanterns the men around you were carrying. Your eyes searched the tree line, watching for animals. You didn’t know what types of animals lived inland and the idea frightened you a little.

A hut appeared on the path, the long porch leading up to it lit with lanterns. When they reached the base of the porch, Castiel told them to stop. The two men stepped out of the way and Castiel gestured for you to follow him. Nicu’s eyes stayed on the pair of you as you began walking up the porch, him taking up the lead.

Castiel knocked on the open door before taking a step into the crowded hut, filled to the brim with books, herbs, glasses, and knickknacks.

“Captain. I didn’t expect to see you again so soon,” a voice crooned from the depth of the hut. A woman emerged from around a corner, and your eyes widened in wonder. She was dressed in so many colors, her hair loose, face painted in delicate patterns. Her eyes landed on Nicu and they flashed with anticipation, “Or your lovely first mate.”

For the first time since meeting him, you saw Nicu blush slightly before a smirk appeared on his lips. The woman gave him a sultry smile before her eyes landed on you. The smile disappeared, her eyes widening.

She floated towards you, her eyes searching you, making you uncomfortable. Castiel stiffened when she got close but made no move to stop her. She circled you, her hands tracing, brushing, trailing.

“You are in a cage, sea girl,” she marveled, coming around to face you again. Her fingers traced your hair, her eyes searching you curiously. “I can feel the water thrumming underneath your skin.” Her hands ran down, tracing the inside of your arms, before coming to your hands.

She turned a disapproving look at Castiel, “When your men asked about a binding spell, I didn’t think they meant this.”

“Neither did I,” Castiel told her honestly.

She studied him for a moment before accepting his answer as truth. She caressed your hands, “It is not right to keep a creature of the sea on land for too long.”

“That’s one reason we are here, Agwé.”

“And the other?”

Castiel eyed Nicu and you before saying to Agwé, “I would like to discuss that alone.” He nodded at Nicu and Nicu brushed your arm, trying to indicate you needed to leave. You were going to protest but Castiel cut you off, “It’ll only be a moment. I promise, Y/N.”

It took a lot of will power to tear your eyes away from his. You didn’t like he was being secretive about what he had told you about finding a solution for himself. You turned, moving towards the door.

Agwé smiled at your response, her eyes sliding to Castiel. “Oh… captain,” there was a knowing glint in her eye. “You have taken her.” She said it quiet enough for only Castiel to hear. He looked at her, a hard look in his eyes. Unmoved by his silence, she leaned in closer, her lips brushing his ear with a warning, “You are drowned already, captain.”

<> <> <>

It truly was a short amount of time before Castiel opened the door, the light from the hut pouring onto the porch where you and Nicu were waiting for him.

“She needs to talk to you, Y/N.” Castiel didn’t sound entirely pleased about it but he stepped out of the way.

You moved towards the door, your eyes locked with his as you stepped over the threshold. Castiel’s eyes left yours and shot a look at Agwé before he stepped out of the cabin, closing the door. Oh. You didn’t know that he had meant she wanted to speak to you alone.

She was sitting at the table and gestured for you to sit in the seat next to her. You did so cautiously, keeping a wary eye on her.

“You could be forced to stay in that body longer if the captain and you are fruitful in your moonlight trysts,” Agwé said with a smirk. “Your body will not allow you to return to the sea until you give birth to the child. I would advise caution.”

“Well. That was blunt.”

“I do not like beating around the bush about such matters,” she responded. “Now, you cannot stay in this body forever. You will become sick.”

“I thought you had a solution.”

“I do. It involves the captain surrendering to you.” You did not like the sound of that. “Surrendering something important to you. I told him I needed to speak with you about it. I haven’t mentioned the specifics to him, only that I have a way. If he seemed a little irritated, that was probably why.”

“Why? Why won’t you tell him? And what is your way?”

“It involves something that is sensitive to you, sea girl. It will involve your participation and if I am honest, your participation is slightly more important than his. He will be able to walk between the land and water. He will become immortal like you. Like me.”

Immortal? He could be with you in both places? You wouldn’t have to force yourself into this confining human form every time you wanted to hold him?

“What does he need to give me?”

Agwé leaned in close, revealing, “Him heart.”

Your brow creased as you stammered, “He… we love each other.”

She smiled, a hint of callousness in it, touching your hand, staring deep into your eyes. “He need to cut it out for you.” You recoiled, and she sighed at your reaction. “He will give it willingly. You must keep it safe. Put it in a safe, hide it.”

“What will that do? And how in any way is my participation in this more important?”

“It will preserve him. Without his heart, he will not age. And if it’s given to you, you can allow him to follow you. No matter where you go. And, you,” She pointed at you. “You will keep him whole. You need to keep his heart safe. You must tend to it, keep it loved. Without that, the captain will slowly lose sight of who he is. A good man. If you’re the reason he gives it up, and you fail to do your part, you will corrupt him. Rotting him from the inside out.”

You sat in stunned silence, trying to take all of that in.

Finally, you asked disbelieving, “He’ll… he’ll be able to breathe under the water?” She nodded. “He’ll grow a fin?”

“I can add that to the spell if you like.”

Suddenly, you shook your head, disappointed with yourself that you were even considering this. You couldn’t ask Castiel to do this. You couldn’t let him do it. “I can’t take his heart. I can’t let him hurt himself like that.”

“What hurt the captain more? This or never having you? You were supposed to take his heart long ago and you didn’t. Time is catching up, sea girl. You sing it for him, he will do anything you desire.”

“I won’t force him like that,” you spat, disgusted with the insinuation that you would go through with that. “I will ask him.”

Agwé waved you off, “Sing. Ask. Same thing. You have him on puppet strings. You control everything he does.” She leaned in closer again and she asked, “You feel it, child. That man is your slave. Both in mind and body.” Your cheeks reddened, and she chuckled, “Oh, child, do not be embarrassed. A man worshipping you in every way, with such devotion, is a gift. Cherish it. Many women would be jealous of you.”

“Well, they shouldn’t be,” you said, having heard enough. You pushed your chair back with a loud squeak. “Thank you for your time.” Your tone was tight.

She snatched your arm quicker than you thought possible and she was staring you down, a serious look on her face.

“I only tell you this once, sea girl. What I tell you is the only way to set him free. He in anguish knowing he cannot follow you places, that he can’t have you whole. This is better than giving him a half-life. If you love him at all, you will do what I tell you. And if not, just kill him. Too far you have gone to not give him this.” Her grip tightened, and you winced. Her voice was low and dangerous when she said, “It would be cruel. Do you understand me? Stop holding back. Take what you claimed and ensnared. Or get rid of him. Permanently.”

Letting go of your arm, she settled back in her seat, her eyes burning into you. “I’ll give you three days to think. It is a generous amount of time. The captain has more than enough to pay me, so you don’t have to worry about that.”

You stared at her, trying not to cry. You would have to take his heart for the two of you to be happy. It was a curse of yours that would get you in the end one way or another.

You were the villain in this story. You always had been. Even unintentionally.

Castiel was waiting outside. You couldn’t bear to look at him. He looked confused for a moment why your stride was so quick. Pushing himself off the railing, he began following you quickly, demanding, “What did she say?”

“Nothing,” you said stiffly, tears pricking your eyes, keeping your fast pace.

Castiel reached for you, grabbing your arm and stopping you unsteadily.

A sob left you and you begged, “Please! Let’s just go back to the ship!” Leaning back, Castiel looked at you, a mixture of shock and worry on his face. You wiped at your eyes and shuddered, “P-please. I just want to go back to the ship.”

Forcing a nod, Castiel got out, “Alright.”

You swallowed sharply, turning to continue walking down the path, feeling numb.


	8. I'd Have to Stay

Instead of following Y/N, Castiel pointed Nicu towards her before storming back up the ramp and onto the porch, heading straight for the front door.

“What did you say to her?” Castiel demanded, coming into the hut like a whirlwind.

Agwé cocked an eyebrow at Castiel’s gruff entrance, still sitting at the table. “I suppose I told her something she did not want to hear.”

“Which was?”

“If she wants to tell you, she will.”

Shaking his head, Castiel protested, “No, tell me.”

Agwé said shortly, “It is her decision to make.”

“It involves me!” Castiel argued, stepping closer.

Waving him off, she got up from the table. “Captain, I am not going to tell you until the sea girl has made her choice. I gave her three days. Now, you should go follow her. They won’t leave the island without you. And if she’s as distressed as you’re making her out to be, I think you should be there to comfort her, no?”

Castiel stared her down, anger pumping through him.

Finally, he shook his head, before turning on his heel and storming out of the hut.

Agwé watched him, a small smile appearing. She knew what choice the girl would make.

<> <> <>

You refused to speak on the trip back, a tear or two falling down your face every so often. You knew it was awkward for everyone in the dingy, but you didn’t have the mental capacity to care at the moment.

As soon as you boarded the ship, Castiel tried again. But you brushed him off, moving towards the stairs to go to his cabin. Castiel’s hand fell from where he had tried to touch your arm, staring after you at a loss. He regretted taking you there. He didn’t like seeing you so upset, and he had had a hand in making it this way.

Jack was leaning against the railing nearby and he asked, “How does it feel?”

Castiel turned towards him, confusion etched on his face. Stepping he closer, he asked, his tone tight. “How does what feel?”

“Being in love.”

Castiel stiffened at the word, his jaw setting.

There was a kind smile on Jack’s face, eyeing his captain with a gleam in his eye. “If you don’t mind me saying so, it’s pretty obvious, Castiel.”

“I do mind it. This isn’t the time, Jack,” Castiel told him.

Shrugging, putting his hands up in apology, Jack told him, “Alright, my apologies. I just didn’t want you to be making a mistake.”

Castiel took the bait. “What mistake?”

“Not following her. I have a feeling it would make the situation worse if you let her be on her own too long.”

Sighing, Castiel wished that Jack wasn’t so bold sometimes. But the kid had a pretty good intuition. He ran his hand down his face, staring off at the water.

Jack asked curiously, “What did you say?”

“It wasn’t me. It was the witch doctor,” Castiel told him, still not looking at him. “And I don’t know what she said. Y/N wouldn’t tell me, and neither would Agwé.” He sighed again, “She said she gave Y/N three days to make a decision though.”

He finally looked at Jack, seeing if he could make any sense of it. Jack looked just as contemplative as him.

“I think you should probably go down in there and talk to her, Castiel. She… she returns the feelings.”

Yes, I know. Castiel thought to himself. There was no way he was going to divulge how much she and he made sure the other knew how they felt to Jack though.

Nodding, Castiel turned on his heel and made his way back to the captain’s quarters.

<> <> <>

Castiel knew you hated the taste of rum but here you were, chugging it in front of him.

“Y/N, you should slow down,” he warned, coming closer.

You took another chug, trying to just get so obliterated you didn’t have to think about what Agwé had told you. But it was so damn hard to do that when the person you were scared for was standing right by you, worried about you.

He tried again, coming into your line of sight, “Y/N… what happened?”

You took another long chug from his bottle, wiping at your mouth. The bottle set unevenly back on the table, and you straightened it immediately before it toppled. Castiel had jerked forward to catch it, worried that you wouldn’t be able to catch it.

Your eyes met his finally and you muttered, “I don’t want to talk about it.”

His voice was firm when he insisted, “I do.”

You chewed on your bottom lip for a moment and then pushed yourself away from the table, Castiel ever watching. “Let me take a walk on the deck.”

“I’ll come with.”

“I… I want to be by myself.”

“I don’t think that’s wise with how much rum you just ingested,” Castiel said.

You let out a frustrated noise, feeling the tears threatening to come again. You turned away from him again but this time he caught your arm, holding tight, stopping you from being able to face away from him.

“Y/N, please talk to me.”

You didn’t want to talk about it. You wanted to make it go away. You remembered something Agwé had said and you reacted impulsively. You grabbed his face roughly, pulling him to you, your lips crashing into his. Castiel grunted, caught off guard, but fell into your movement, his lips moving with yours.

Pushing at his jacket, you shrugged it off his shoulders. Castiel’s hands found your sides, yours finding the sides of his face again, your kiss passionate and long.

Pulling away, you pulled your dress over your head, tossing it aside.

Something seemed to clear in Castiel’s head, remembering how upset you’d been, how much you had drunk. He wasn’t comfortable with the circumstance.

He put up a hand to stop you as you grabbed onto the front of his shirt, pulling him towards the bed. You got up onto your knees on the mattress, trying to pull him close.

Castiel held you at arm’s length much to your annoyance, “Y/N, we need to talk.”

“Please, Castiel,” you breathed, your fingers digging slightly into his chest.

“Y/N… you’re drunk. We…” he exhaled sharply, trailing off.

You shook your head, your hand going to his belt. Castiel looked reluctant and he started, “Y/N, please – ”

“No, we need to do this,” you told him undoing his pants.

His hands reached out, grasping your wrists tightly. “Y/N!” He said more firmly.

All the emotions that you’d built up, all the alcohol that you drank, it all came crashing down. And you started crying and Castiel’s face fell, worry washing over him.

“I… we need to,” you begged him. “If I get pregnant, I can stay that way. I have to stay.” Castiel’s mouth fell open and you shook your head again, tears continuing to fall. You whispered through your tears, “I’d have to stay…”

It took Castiel a moment to recover from what you had just said to him. He grasped your face, making you look at him. Gently, he asked, “What did she tell you? She said she gave you three days to think about it.”

You couldn’t bring yourself to say everything, so you hiccupped, “Your heart.” You scoffed, burying your face in your hands. “It’s always the hearts.”

Castiel pressed, “What about my heart?”

You looked at him again, your eyes red and tears staining your cheeks. Your voice was barely a whisper, “I have to take it.” You swallowed, a few more tears escaping. “And keep it. Then you could be immortal.”

“You need to take it. Literally?”

You shook your head, “No. I… sorry. It has to be you. You need to…” you hesitated before finishing remorsefully, “You need to cut it out yourself. You need to give it to me willingly. I can’t take it. I phrased it wrong.”

He was silent and you hiccupped again, wiping at your eyes angrily. “I won’t do it. I can’t let you. I didn’t do it before, I’m not doing it now.”

Silence fell between the two of you, both avoiding the eye contact of the other.

“It’s not your choice to make.”

You snapped your head up to look at him. He was staring back at you, his eyes swimming with emotion.

Worry melting away to fury, you snapped, “It is my choice! I won’t take it.”

“It’s my heart. And I can do whatever I want with it.” You balked at him. Exhaling sharply, he continued firmly, “If that’s the way it’s going to work, then that’s it, isn’t it? That’s just how it has to be.”

Shaking your head, you told him, “I don’t like it.”

“It doesn’t matter if we like it. Do you think I’m excited about it?” Castiel asked you, raising his eyebrows. “It doesn’t sound like it’s going to be enjoyable for me, but if it’s how we can stay together.”

“Why can’t my family just accept it?”

“You said it yourself. I’m human. If we do this, I won’t be.”

You lamented, “Do you really want to live forever? It’s not a gift most of the time.”

Castiel sat on the bed next to you, his eyes not leaving you. He reached his hand out, brushing your hair behind your ear. His hand cupped the side of your face, his thumb brushing your tears away.

He was firm when he said quietly, “If it’s with you, yes.”

You felt emotion welling in your chest and you asked him shakily, “Do you really want that?” Before he could answer, you pressed, “Really? Truly want it? Or are you going to do whatever it takes to keep me because I poisoned you?”

“Y/N, what are you – “ he asked you, his hand falling from your face.

“I sang to you, Castiel. You never forgot it. It’s a curse. I was supposed to kill you. That’s what you’re running towards because I put it in your bones.” Castiel was silent. You warbled, “How can you know that you even love me? It could all be fake.”

All the insecurities and worry you had been bottling up were pouring out of you, the alcohol loosening your tongue.

“Everything you feel about me could be fake. And you could’ve been free to live your life if I hadn’t interfered. I ruined your life. I mean, you would’ve killed me on the spot when they brought me on board if I hadn’t woven myself into your conscience. Have you ever even thought about that?”

You looked at him expectantly, just wanting him to say the truth.

His voice was quiet when he answered, “Yes. I know what your voice does. Of course I’ve thought of it.”

“And?” you demanded tearfully.

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Of course it matters!”

“It doesn’t, Y/N. There was a reason you chose that ship. And I don’t care what the reason was. And I don’t care that everything I’m feeling is like an invisible line holding us together because you sang. If that’s true, then I’ve reinforced it myself over the years, pining for you, wishing you were there – ”

You tried to interrupt, “But that’s just it – “

“I won’t accept that remembering how breathtaking you were is the sole reason we are here now. You saw something when you looked at me too. And it had nothing to do with ‘poisoning’ or however you want to paint it. You let me go. And we came back together again by forces outside our control. We were able to find each other again against tall odds. That is what matters to me.”

You melted at his words, all the arguments you wanted to say washed away. He pulled you close again, his lips landing on yours, moving slowly. You fell into the kiss, your hand holding him behind the head.

Against your lips, he whispered, “By the way, you didn’t ruin my life. And I don’t want you to ever think that. Okay?” You nodded, resting your forehead on his. “I want to do this. I want to be with you. Can you accept that? Can you accept my heart from me?”

Could you? It was what you had been trying to avoid all this time.

But, if it was willingly…

“Yes.”

The moonlight painted your skin as your agreement was sealed with kisses, whispered sweet nothings, and limbs intertwined.


	9. You Were Being Tormented

You stood on deck, staring off into the water. It had been weeks since you had been in your true form. You were itching for the feeling, your body sensing it would able to be normal once more.

Agwé had given Castiel a potion to restore you to your former self, to cut the bind that his men had put on you. He had told you this morning, explaining he had kept it to himself because you had been distraught last night. He wanted it to be a calm moment to reveal it.

Your hands tightened on the railing, anticipation biting at your heels. The sea breeze was dancing across your skin, a light tug even, calling you home.

Castiel appeared at your side, his hand coming up to lay on top of yours. In your ear he told you quietly, “Of course we have an audience.”

You smiled softly and responded, “I wouldn’t expect anything less. They seemed in awe seeing me change forms before. I imagine it is quite a spectacle to people who will never experience it.”

He scanned your face, his hand tightening on yours. You moved your free hand to place it on top of his, holding him. You whispered, “I promise I won’t leave.”

Castiel forced a smile, but you could tell he was nervous. He held up a small vial to you, the potion inside. You took it from him, examining it. It had a tint of blue to it. Fitting, considering you were returning back to the sea.

You shot a look over your shoulder, seeing the crew watching you intently. Your eyes landed on Jack, pausing for a moment. He gave you a smile and a small encouraging nod.

Looking forward again, you uncorked the vial. You hesitated before tossing it back, feeling it creep down your throat, into your chest. You breathed deeply, suspended.

Nothing.

You looked at Castiel, confused. His brow was creased, waiting.

Then, a jolt shot through you. You all but collapsed against the railing, feeling your fin writhe about inside you. It wanted to be set free. You needed to be in the water. These legs were not your own.

“Y/N?” Castiel exclaimed, grasping you hard. He held your balance.

“It…” you tried to get out. The thrashing inside of you was harsh. Your fin was fighting to be released. It wanted free of these human bonds. Your voice was meek, tears pricking your eyes. Another jerk, and you let out a pained groan, “It hurts.” You dipped your head down, resting your head on your arm, squeezing your eyes shut, trying to breathe through the pain.

Jack appeared beside Castiel and he said hurriedly, “She needs to get in the water.”

Yes. You needed it. It was the only thing that made sense.

Straightening up, you peered down at the water, the only thing on your mind was returning home to rid yourself of this pain.

Grasping the railing, you began moving to climb up over the railing, readying to jump.

“Y/N!” Castiel barked, fumbling to pull you back. His arms tightened around you, yanking you back onto the deck. You cried out in frustration. He held tight, telling you worriedly in your ear, “It’s too high! You’ll get hurt!” To Jack, he ordered, “Get the rowboat ready. We’ll take her down in that and let her slip over the side!”

Nicu followed the order, grabbing some other men to help him ready the boat. Jack followed suit, tearing his eyes away from the pair of you.

You still struggled against Castiel, just wanting to feel the salt water on you again. You needed to release your fin; it was getting more and more violent the longer they stalled.

In your ear, Castiel whispered, “I’m sorry. I can’t let you jump. We’ll get you in the boat and you can leave from there. I should have been smarter about this. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” He kept apologizing, his lips brushing your skin.

You tried to focus on his words, on his voice. It was calling to you above the ocean of pain crashing around and inside you. You couldn’t sink into it. You were so close and Castiel was there holding onto you, keeping you safe. You let him move you towards the rowboat. He still held onto you when you sat, him whispering in your ear, telling you a story. You couldn’t discern the words but the sound of his voice was enough to keep you from succumbing to the madness swirling, telling you to just jump.

You heard the waves closer, the sound of the lapping against the rowboat as it settled into the water like a cloud. Your eyes snapped over to the side, the watery depths begging you to come back.

Tearing away from Castiel, you pulled at your dress, tugging it over your head, tossing it aside into the boat. You had no concern for the other pirates above. They had already seen you naked before.

Without a word to Castiel, even though you heard him stammering behind you, you dove into the water, his voice muted.

You gasped, the pain fleeing, dispersing into the water around you. Everything around you was echoing, your body shuddering with release as those legs you had walked on for far too long bended together. They gave way to your fin, followed by your low exhale of relief at being free of your human bounds. With a deep inhale, you breathed in through your gills, touching them on the sides of your neck. It felt refreshing to breathe through them again.

Opening your eyes finally, you gazed around at the sea around you.

Home. Home. Home.

You were far from where you had left but it was a start. You were yourself again.

From far away, you heard a voice calling your name. Your nose turned upward, and you saw the rowboat. It was so far above. You did not realize how far you had dived. You saw a man leaning over the side of the boat and everything came crashing back. You had been high on your ecstasy and you had been careless. You had not even said a word to him as you had left, diving into the water, away from him.

You swam back up towards the surface quickly, wanting to ease his anxiety. When you surfaced, you did it away from him to not startle him. His eyes locked on you and you swam closer to the rowboat, keeping eye contact. Your eyes shot up at the crew that were all watching intently. You were certain some of them were just waiting for you to bring their captain to his death now that you had your voice back.

“Y/N?” Castiel asked, his voice calm.

He was not afraid and you warmed, overwhelmed that he really did trust you.

“I’m sorry,” you apologized, coming to the side of the boat, and placing your hands on the side. Before he could ask, you explained, “I didn’t say a word.”

Castiel nodded, “It’s fine. You were being tormented.”

“That’s a good word for it.” He cracked a small smile. You reached out and he held onto your hand. “Thank you. A lesser man would have never set me free.”

Bringing your hand to his lips, he gave it a small kiss.

You could not help but to quip, “We have an audience.”

A full smile now as he said, without looking up at them, “I am sure they already had an idea.”

“With all those immoral nights where two unmarried people shared a bed? Tell me it isn’t true.”

He gave a small laugh at your quip, before giving you another small kiss on the back of your hand. He let it go, and he asked, “Now what?”

“I thought I was getting you treasure.”

“Hmm, yes that was part of the deal. But, we do have a time limit for Agwé.”

Pointing out, you said, “We still have two days. And you’re close by Agwé, no need to move further away. I could swim and find something to keep your men’s trust that their bargain will be upheld. I don’t want them losing faith or turning on you.”

Castiel chewed on that for a moment and then nodded, “Alright.” He paused before requesting, “Please promise me that you’ll be safe.”

“I won’t leave,” you vowed as you had before.

<> <> <>

Something reverberated through Neireda’s bones, moving through the current of the water and passing through her. She was confused only for a moment before it dawned on her. It felt like Y/N, her voice echoing for only a moment before disappearing again.

She moved her head to look at Mila, seeing the same look of knowing etched on her face. Their eyes locked and Neireda felt relief.

Y/N was back. And they could find her.


	10. All I Want For You

The ship was buried in silt, the framework coming undone. This was a fairly recent wreck judging by the decay of the wood. You swam cautiously, keeping an eye out for sharks and other fish that may want to eat you. You could not dive far out at sea, considering the depth the ships would sink to. Your ability to handle the sea pressure had a threshold.

Castiel had been uncomfortable about you swimming away from the ship to search for a wreck. But, you had promised you would stay safe and return before traveling too far. You would not be gone more than a day.

This wreck was in a reef close to a lagoon, not very deep and therefore giving you more light to search around. You surmised that they had been trying to dock in the lagoon, perhaps to get away from a storm. But whatever it had been, it was foolish to get so close.

Nothing dangerous seemed to be lurking inside and you swam closer, peering into one of the gun ports. Decay was rampant as you observed the inside, swimming in through the gun port, keeping an eye out. In the hull, you knew there was a small chance of finding anything of value left, just based on the fact that Castiel kept their valuables in his cabin.

You swam up out of the hull after a fruitless search, coming up onto the deck and moving towards the doors of the captain’s cabin. One of the doors was unhinged and you narrowed your eyes, hesitating. It could be from decomposition, but something was tugging at your instincts. Swimming slowly, you peered into the dark cabin, just as something moved to your right. Reacting quickly, you swam up and away from the ship, cutting through the water with ease. Risking it, you looked behind you to see if something was in pursuit. Instead, you saw a large octopus emerging from the cabin, lethargic. Slowing to a stop, you turned back around, watching it leave. You had disturbed its slumber, no doubt. Some octopus were grumpy, and they did have venom, but you had not heard of one attacking one of your kind in a long time.

Returning with caution, you watched it slip over the side of the boat. You waited a few seconds before moving to the cabin again. This time, you swam around it, looking through the broken windows to see if the octopus had a mate or if anything else was inhabiting it. It was seemingly empty, and you swam through one of the broken windows, looking around.

Your eyes were immediately drawn to a safe in the corner and you swam to it excitedly. It was closed, and no doubt locked. Still, you pulled on the safe, knowing it was futile, but hoping for the best. It did not budge. You frowned, moving back to look around the room. If you were a key…

The desk. You opened all the drawers, searching through it, surprised it was still so intact. You located it finally and came back to the safe. You thanked your good luck when it fit and the safe’s door swung open slowly. Peering inside, you looked over what was inside. There were jeweled necklaces and other jewelry. No coin, but the gold and silver would be worth it. It was quite full.

You again looked around, trying to find something to carry them up in. You should have grabbed a bag of some sort. Your eyes landed on a burlap sack. Smiling to yourself, you swam over to retrieve it and begin throwing things inside it.

<> <> <>

Castiel was pacing nervously on deck, watching the waters for any sign of Y/N surfacing. She had been gone for more than half a day, sunset quickly approaching, and although they had agreed on a day, he was on edge. There were so many things in the sea he did not know about and he did not want her getting harmed. He knew she had lived there her entire existence, but it was foreign ground to him.

Nicu appeared at his side, stopping Castiel in his tracks.

“You’re worrying yourself to death, captain. She said she would be back.”

Raising an eyebrow, Castiel responded, “I am surprised that you believe her.”

“I don’t.” Castiel frowned at him and Nicu continued, “But I know you do. And if you let her go, then that means something to me in my book.”

“Your trust in me may misguide you someday, Nicu.”

“I highly doubt that. You’ve made me mad before, sure. But people make mistakes. You’ve always made up for it, captain.”

Castiel chuckled quietly, “I’m glad you can be so candid with me.”

Nicu cocked his head to the side, inquiring, “Did you discuss where she would go?”

“Not further than half a day’s swim. So, it should take a day at most.”

“That far seems like a bunch of effort since she’s been on human legs for over a month.”

Of course Castiel had thought of that, worried about it. He said otherwise though, “She’ll be okay. She’s strong.”

“Do you love her?” Castiel looked startled by the unexpected question. Nicu rose his brows and stepped closer, “We all know there is… something there. That kiss did not go unnoticed.” Castiel cleared his throat and Nicu added, “As well as the two of you sharing your cabin. But, how deep is it?”

Castiel was silent, staring at the ground, trying to decide how to answer that. Of course he knew they had noticed; Jack had already told him that. But confirming it… out loud to his crew? He chose his words carefully, answering quietly, “It’s deep.”

“Enough to do something drastic?”

Castiel furrowed his brow in confusion.

“The witch doesn’t really dabble in half-assing things, captain. And what she told Y/N, it really upset her.”

He could not lie to Nicu. “Yes, enough to do something drastic. To stay together.”

The silence grew between the two of them, Nicu looking at Castiel with a mixture of apprehension and sadness. Castiel held his gaze, waiting for him to say something in response.

“Are you leaving?”

Another stretch of quiet before Castiel said in hushed tones, his eyes still locked with Nicu’s, “I don’t know.”

Nicu was going to respond but a shout rang out from one of the men, alerting them to Y/N’s return.

<> <> <>

You swam up beside the ship, struggling with floating and holding the bag at the same time. It was beginning to tire you having dragged it for so long. You had not realized how heavy a bag of gold and silver was going to be after awhile. The sun was low in the sky, almost coming down to touch the horizon at this time. You saw one of Castiel’s men spot you and he began shouting, to alert someone to help him lower the dinghy. Castiel appeared over the side of the ship, peering down at you. You forced a smile through your struggle, but you knew he saw you were having trouble.

He barked some orders at his men to hurry up and said something to Nicu before Nicu disappeared from the railing. When the boat was lowered finally, you came close, holding up the strap. Castiel grabbed onto it, hauling it out of the water with a grunt. The water soaking the bag made it even heavier and you had not even grabbed all the jewelry. Nicu was in the boat with him as well and you saw he was holding your dress. That is what Castiel had sent him to retrieve. They both helped you over the side of the boat, your fin taking up a substantial portion of the dinghy before you began changing again. Your heart clenched, the frightening image of it happening before rushing back to you. Calm down, you told yourself repeatedly. You were not cursed this time. You were not going to be trapped like this again. If you touched the sea again, you would have your fin again.

Nicu had averted his eyes but was holding out your dress. You took it from him, throwing it over your head.

“Are you alright?” Castiel asked as you adjusted the dress.

“Besides a giant octopus? Fine.” Castiel rose his eyebrows, and you waved him off, “They are not usually dangerous.” He opened his mouth to protest as Nicu signaled for the men to start drawing the dinghy back up, but you cut him off, reaching for the sack. “I could not carry it all. But, I know where the ship is sunk. So, I can go back.” You opened the bag and held out one of the gold necklaces to Castiel.

Nicu was suddenly interested, and you handed the bag over to him. They were the crew’s treasures after all. You had no use for them. He began rummaging through the bag and shot a look at Castiel. If you were not mistaken, you would say that he actually looked impressed.

His eyes met yours and he told you simply, “Good find.”

<> <> <>

Sleep had come easy to you when you had laid down cuddled up close to Castiel in his cabin. You were tired from your trip and one benefit of being in human form was a deep night of sleep. You had more or less gotten used to dreaming, even enjoying it sometimes. But, you loved fallen asleep next to Castiel best of all.

Your peacefulness was disrupted though halfway through the night. A melody drew you from your slumber and your eyes snapped open. You flew up in bed, startling Castiel from his sleep.

He was disoriented, sitting up in a flash as well, his hair a tousled mess. He was trying to blink away his sleep, getting out drowsily, “W-what is it? What’s going on?”

You did not answer, throwing your blankets off and crawling over him frantically. You knew those melodies. And there was no way you were going to tell Castiel that. At least not yet.

“Y/N?” he demanded, more clearly now. You were grabbing the robe, tying it loosely around yourself. He pushed his covers back, getting out of bed and coming up to you. He grabbed your shoulders, stopping your movement, and said firmly, “Y/N! Answer….”

He trailed off, his head turning towards one of the windows. You instantly put your fingers in his ears, your gut reaction to stop him from listening. His eyes snapped back to you. You mouthed, “Mermaids.”

Removing your fingers, you guided his up to replace yours and went to go look for his wax plugs. You rummaged around his desk and found them, bringing them back to him quickly. As he put them in, you turned towards the door to leave. He stumbled after you and asked, “Where are you going?”

“To tell them to leave!”

“What if they attack you? It’s not safe, Y/N.”

“They won’t attack me!”

“Are you sure? You’re getting in the way of a meal.”

You huffed and said, “It’s not all they eat! They… we do it for fun sometimes. It’s a game. You know that! And if you keep me, you’re going to lose some of your men if they were also roused from their sleep! Stay here!”

He looked off put that you had ordered him but you did not have time to care.

Moving up on deck quickly, you saw none of the sailors on deck had forfeited their wax and were unaffected. Thankfully, even though you were on board, Castiel had insisted his night crew wear them still. You signaled at one to get his attention and he reached for his plugs and you waved, panicked, to get him to stop and his brow creased in confusion. “Mermaids,” you mouthed to him and his eyes widened, looking towards the railing. You placed a hand on his arm and he leaned away from you, looking distrusting. That stung but you mouthed, “Don’t look.”

You pushed past him, untying your robe, tossing it aside, nude on the deck. Modesty was not important at the moment. You crawled up the side of the railing and peered over down towards the waves. You spotted movement and dived toward it. You swore you heard Castiel shout your name before you were lost to the wind in the fall.

The water was harder than you expected, and it knocked the wind out of your lungs when you hit it. But it was replenished when you took a deep inhale through your gills that had formed almost immediately. You moved your fin, turning to swim but came face to face with a familiar face. A group of them actually. There had been only one body that you had seen before diving but as soon as you hit the water, you had drawn the other’s attention as well.

Nereida, Oona, Mila, Althea, Kai, and Orcania were staring at you in shock. Then you were surrounded, chattering voices and exclaims, arms wrapped tightly. Your hair was pushed away from your face, them all checking you over for injuries, bruises, anything to suggest you had been mistreated, still chattering over one another. You could not help but smile at the company, wrapped up in the happiness of being reunited with your sisters.

“How did you escape?” Nereida’s voice cut over the rest of them, coming in front of you fully. “We have been searching for you! Trying to get sailors to tell us if you are on board! So far it’s been nothing. But then you’re here all on your own.” She repeated, “How did you escape?”

Reality crashed back down on you and you had explaining to do. It was going to be hard and you had not prepared yourself for what you would say to them exactly.

“I did not have to escape.”

“What?”

Mila waved the others off, “You remember what Thoe told us. Y/N, tell us it is not true. You are not… with a man? A mortal?” You stammered, not knowing how to answer and it was all she needed to hear, shaking her head. You noticed they had all moved a little away from you and your heart clenched. You did not want to be rejected by your family.

“A human, Y/N?” Oona sounded disgusted.

You tried to reassure them, “He is different” but they would not hear it, all chattering again.

Nereida told you, “Y/N, this is foolish. You need to come home.”

Kai said, disappointed, “He is a human, for mother’s sake, Y/N!”

“They are all damned creatures,” Orcania chimed in.

Creature. That is what they had called you and you had hated the way it rolled off their tongues. It was a despicable term and you were not going to stand for it.

“They are not damned! They are not cruel.” You noticed the looks on their faces and said exasperated, “Not all of them at least. He is kind. He is gentle, smart. Protective. He… cares.”

“What has he done to bewitch you?” Mila asked you with a condescending tone, and that made you lose your temper.

You shook your head angrily, protesting, “I am not bewitched! I love him!”

There were sharp intakes of breath around your circle of sisters. You were not going to let them speak ill of Castiel. They had no idea who he was or what he had done to keep you safe over the short amount of time you had spent together. They did not understand.

Continuing, you huffed, “He saved me!”

“Why?” Oona demanded.

“Because I saved him. When he was younger, I did not call him to me. I let him go.”

There were a chorus of demands, “What?”

It all started pouring out of you, “I did not draw him into the water. I couldn’t take his life. His eyes were so… alive and beautiful and only for me. And the way I couldn’t tear my own eyes away from him… I left him on the deck. I have been thinking about him ever since. Fate brought us back together, a power outside of our control.” You had given way to softness, but you hardened again, determined to make them see, “And I am fine! I have been safe! I have been happy! I was not going to stay away forever, I promise! I would never want to be separated from you forever. I just wanted time to be with him. And I want more time. We… we may have found a way to stay together. To keep him alive, immortal even. And I want to do it. I want him.”

Your sisters were staring at you in silence, dumbstruck by your declaration. Your fists were clenched, staring back at them, trying to not lose your resolve at their potential abandonment of you. Your eyes searched their face desperately as the time drew out, wanting an answer. Any answer.

Movement to your left caught your eye and you saw Althea move towards you but stopped when you turned to her. She had not spoken, she had not protested what you had said. She tended to be quiet, keeping her opinions to herself since she was the youngest. All eyes were on her now though and she looked hesitant for a second before directing at you, “Are you going to get hurt doing it?”

“No. If anything, he will.”

“And you are happy?”

You nodded just as Orcania snapped, “Althea, don’t.”

Althea retorted firmly, “I want to hear her say it again!”

You rose your brows, surprised by her sudden backbone. She seemed to have the same affect on Orcania, who closed her mouth, silent.

To you, Althea said, “All I want for you – for any of you – is happiness, Y/N. You are my sister and even if I don’t understand it, I can’t dictate your life. None of should.”

Your heart softened at her devotion and you told her, “I am happy, Althea. He loves me.”

Silence echoed once more and Althea looked satisfied with your answer. This time, you did not feel as much tension between the group of you. Althea swam forward, the rest of your sisters watching her closely. She came to you, pulling you into a hug and you accepted it gratefully. She squeezed tightly before pulling away. You looked over her shoulder at your other sisters, who were still keeping their distance but not looking as aloof.

You opened your mouth but there was a splash. Not loud but something had landed in the water. You twirled around, peering up at the surface. You saw the shape of the dinghy and you cursed to yourself before shooting them a quick look. You sighed exasperated, “I told him to stay in his cabin!” before taking off.

Mila rose an eyebrow and asked no one in particular, “She told him?”

Kai looked over at her and said, “Maybe she’s telling the truth.”

You surfaced next to the boat and just as you had suspected, Castiel was sitting in the dinghy with Jack, who you guessed had refused to let Castiel come down here alone. You exhaled sharply before swimming to the dinghy and exclaimed, “What are you doing?”

Castiel looked relieved to see you, coming to the side of the small boat, “Y/N! You were gone for too long! I was worried!”

“So, your plan was to come down here?”

“To search for you. I thought…” he trailed off suddenly, not focusing on you anymore. He was looking over your shoulder and you whipped your head to follow his gaze.

Althea had surfaced, keeping her distance. Her eyes were moving in between the three of you curiously, before shooting a look up at the deck where the crew that was awake was peering over, despite your warning not to. You spotted Nicu, worry on his face for his captain and crewman. If it had just been you, it would have been a different story. But now there was another mermaid and you knew it was going to be more than one new mermaid sooner than later.

She swam closer slowly, her eyes continuing to move between you and the two humans in the boat. She reached you, her eyes fixated on Castiel now. He looked nervous, not knowing if she was a friend or foe. He kept flicking his eyes to you for reassurance. Jack was staring at her in awe. Not only had he spoken to you in your human form, and seen you in your true form, he was seeing yet another mermaid.

“You haven’t even told me his name,” Althea told you, breaking the silence, turning her gaze to you.

Oh. You realized you had not.

“Castiel.”

She looked back at him and said, “He is quite handsome, Y/N.” She looked at Jack and said, “Hello.”

Jack could not find words for a few moments before getting out, “Hello.”

Looking flustered, Castiel looked at you for an explanation.

“Althea,” you explained, knowing he would remember your first dream. He softened, realizing who she was.

“Her sister.”

“He knows.”

“You spoke of me?”

“I… dreamt of you.” She furrowed her brow confused and you told her, “Humans sleep very differently than we do, and I was affected by it. Trust me, I was very confused when I woke up.”

Althea looked at Jack curiously, “And you are?”

“Jack.”

“What a peculiar name.”

Instead of responding, Jack’s eyes widened, looking behind you and you knew more had joined. “You didn’t tell us you had so many sisters, Y/N…” he trailed off.

The rest of your sisters had indeed joined and were observing, shooting nervous glances up at the deck at the other humans. It was them at a disadvantage for once.

“They won’t hurt you,” you reassured them.

“I won’t let them,” Castiel chimed in from behind you, finally speaking again. Your sisters were staring at him, sizing him up.

They were not coming closer though and you had a feeling that they would not. But the fact that they had surfaced at all meant something. You swam away from the boat coming to face Nereida. She stared at you in silence and you knew you were going to have to make the first move.

“I promise I’m safe. And I promise I will come back. I just need to finish this. Please do not be angry with me. I couldn’t stand it.”

Nereida’s expression softened and she sighed, “I’m not angry with you, Y/N. I’m… worried. If anything bad happened to you, I couldn’t stand that. I’m the oldest. I’m supposed to protect you.”

You gave her a small smile, “You have. I don’t expect you to stop trying. But, I can manage. I trust him.”

She shot a look over your shoulder at him, no doubt making intense eye contact as a threat. You allowed her to do it; she needed to feel like she had some control in this and that she kept her dominance.

“He’ll be able to stay with me. And the witch said that he could follow me anywhere. Which means the water. So, I will be back.”

“When are you doing this task?”

“Tomorrow. More than likely. The witch gave us a time frame to make a decision.”

“We are staying.” You were taken aback, and she noticed. “I will see you through this. If it is truly what you want.”

“It is. More than anything.”

“I suppose I was never very good at controlling you to begin with, Y/N. You were always unruly. Mother always said so.”

“She was right apparently.”

Nereida’s lips turned up every so slightly, “She was.” She tossed one more look at Castiel before saying, “We will stay close. I am assuming you will be on the ship tonight.” You nodded and she said, “Then we will keep watch for your movement.”

And with that she dove back underneath the water. Your other sisters did as well, one by one, until it was just you. Or you thought it was only you because when you turned around, you saw Althea was still floating near the dinghy, waiting for you. When you approached, she squeezed your hand, giving it a kiss.

“Thank you,” you told her, grateful she had bridged the gap between you and your sisters.

“I have to be helpful sometime, don’t I?” She half joked before tossing a look at the men, “Castiel. Jack.” Then she dove under the water as well.

Turning to him, you met his eyes. After a few moments, he exhaled loudly, “That went better than I thought it was going to. Right?”

You affirmed, “Right. Nereida only wants to skin half your body now.”

“I don’t know if that’s a joke or not,” Castiel said slowly, sounding unsure.

“I won’t let them hurt you,” you told him and got him to smile softly.


	11. Sing to Me

Agwé was not surprised to see you return to her home. “You are back, sea girl.” She saw Castiel enter the hut and she barely had time to hide her amused smile. “Captain.” Her eyes moved to you and she said approvingly, “You are persuasive… much like the ocean that inveigles men to believe they can conquer it with calmness before a storm.”

“I do not—” Castiel started out but Agwé cut him off.

“You think of yourselves as equals. You have already believed you can conquer her.” Again Castiel opened his mouth to argue but she pressed on, “She has the brine of the sea in her veins, dictating her every move. You could not possible comprehend her mercurial temperament, captain.” Her smile softened, her gaze moving to you, “No matter how much she wishes she could convey it to you. It should be no offense to you to tell you that your being is far less complicated than her own.”

Castiel asked, “Meaning?”

Agwé told him, “You are going to have trouble with the transition, captain. Physically and mentally.”

“I already know I have to carve out my heart – “

“That is not what I am saying.”

“Then what are you talking about?”

“When I say you can follow her wherever, you will take on a form suitable to live in the water if you so choose.”

You had neglected to tell Castiel that part and you saw his brow furrow, confused.

Agwé’s eyes flicked to you, seeing his puzzlement. “You did not tell him.”

“I did not know if you were going to grant it.”

Castiel inquired, “Grant what?”

“You being able to move between land and water.”

He looked confused and Agwé stated, “A fin, captain.”

“A fin?”

“The transformation is uncomfortable the first time,” you told him.

Snorting, Agwé said, “Uncomfortable for you. Painful for him. That is what I was referring to. It will get easier. But then he must learn to deal with living forever. You were born with it, it is not new to you. You will have to come to grips with that, captain, as you watch you friends pass away to the afterlife and you cannot follow naturally.”

“I can handle it.”

“You say that now.”

“I’ll handle it when I get to that bridge.” He stepped closer to you. “I have her.”

You could not hold back your smile, your heart melting at his declaration that you were enough.

Agwé slunk towards one of her back rooms, disappearing. You heard her rummaging around and when she returned, she produced a small chest, placing it on the table. She turned her eyes to the pair of you and asked, “Would this suffice for the chest or do you have one special in mind? I will provide the dagger. It needs to be enchanted. I have already prepared it for tonight.”

“Tonight?” you balked.

“Why wait the extra day? There is no point in dragging your feet any more than you already have.” She gave you a knowing look and you swallowed sharply, knowing she was referring to your earlier conversation. “It only gives you more of an opportunity to lose your gall.”

You said nothing but Castiel asked, “How long does it take?”

“Not long, captain. A quarter of an hour at best. You will bleed out before you complete the task. But, your sacrifice is what matters.”

You did not like the way she just nonchalantly mentioned he was going to bleed out. You moved closer to him, drawing his attention. Your fingers interlaced with Castiel’s, staring into his eyes deeply.

He smiled gently. “I will come back. I have you watching over me.” He brought your hand to his lips and gave it a small kiss as you tried to return a reassuring smile.

Agwé told you, interrupting the moment, “You must have confidence in yourself. Both of you. Follow me if you’re ready.”

She led you out of the hut, down over her bridge and back towards the beach. But, she was not leading you to where the men had docked the dinghy. The beach she was leading you to still led to the sea but it was secluded, on the opposite side of the island. “Your men will come when you shout, captain. I don’t want interruptions before we can finish,” she explained before coming to a stop at the water’s edge. “Captain, undress. You too, sea girl.”

You bent down, placing the chest on the ground, moving to undress. Meanwhile, raising his eyebrows in surprise, Castiel asked. “Excuse me?”

“You will find it very difficult to transform with clothes on. Isn’t that right, sea girl?”

You had to smirk at her snark, picking the small chest back up.

Castiel exhaled heavily but began doing what she ordered. She came over to you and handed you the box. “For you to hold at the beginning.”

You took it from her, nodding stiffly.

When he was finished undressing, he had turned from Agwé, trying to conceal himself. “Mortals,” was all she commented. “Hopefully you get over ridiculous human tendencies, captain, in time. Kneel on the sand.” He did as she asked, and she ignored his uncomfortableness at being exposed in this position. She bent down to her knees beside him in the sand, holding the dagger. “Take it.”

Castiel did so, bringing the tip of the dagger to his heart. You winced at the sight as Agwé told him, “You will need to work quickly. Clear your head of everything but her. And inevitably the pain will take over. But think of her to start. Think of your desire, your love, your goal. Hold all of that in an image in your mind.” Castiel nodded. “You do that and the mermaid and I will do the rest.”

“I do have a name you know,” you told her.

Grinning, Agwé told you, “I know, Y/N. But, sea girl is more appropriate.” You decided against arguing with her. She turned her attention to Castiel again, “I am ready when you are, captain.”

Castiel’s eyes locked with yours and you saw his chest starting to rise and fall more rapidly, working himself up to the task. The two of you were suspended for a few moments as Castiel cleared his head, focusing his attention only on you. When he rose the dagger, your breath froze, and he plunged the dagger above his heart. A pained shout left his lips.

You could not bear to look as he drug the knife around his heart. You heard his cries of pain, his struggling to continue, and you squeezed your eyes tight.

Agwé’s arm lashed out, her fingers gripping your chin tightly, “No, sea girl. You must watch. You must. You need to see the sacrifice for the spell to work properly. You need to see him surrender to you, giving up his life.”

You turned your eyes back to him, a mixture of queasiness and sorrow in your gut.

There were tears running down Castiel’s face as he carved deep, using both hands. His blood was gushing out of the wound at a sickening pace, coating his chest and the sand at his knees. His eyes fluttered as his movement began to falter. He was losing consciousness quickly. His hands dropped, the dagger falling to the ground, and he collapsed back onto the sand.

Alarmed, you grabbed for his hand. “Castiel?” you exclaimed. To Agwé, you directed, “What’s wrong with him?”

“What do you think is wrong with him, sea girl? He’s dead,” she told you harshly, working quickly to get him situated. Her hands were covered in his blood and you gagged at the sight. “Open your gown. At your chest. Now!”

You did as she demanded, and she drug her fingers through the blood on the part of his heart that was exposed. She brought her fingers to you, drawing a sigil over your heart hastily.

She picked up the dagger and finished carving his heart out. You held back your tears as she pulled it gently from his chest. “Come now, girl. The box.” You shakily held it out to her and she placed it delicately within. Her hands hovered over the box and she began drawing essence out of his heart, guiding it towards your chest. You jerked back a little, your eyes fixed on the purple light and she commanded, “Stay still.”

You watched the pulsating light disappearing through your skin and you breathed deeply, feeling warmth spread throughout your chest. Involuntarily, you raised a hand, it landing where the light had dissipated.

She was swiftly back to Castiel, murmuring underneath her breath, her hands placed on either side of the wound he and her had carved. His chest began weaving itself back together, you watching in astonishment.

The wound was closing rapidly, Agwé focused. But her concentration wavered when she ordered you firmly, “Get into the water.”

“What? Why?”

“Do it! He will not be himself when he wakes up and you need to sing him to you. And I mean sing, Y/N. He needs to hear your song. That’s what he’s been waiting to hear all these years.”

Pushing yourself up off the ground, you accused her, “You forgot to mention that detail!”

“I told you you had to keep him grounded. Now stop questioning me and go! Before he wakes! We do not have much time. He is healing faster than I thought he would. His drive to be with you is strong.”

The water splashed around you as you entered. You barely had time to focus before your legs began to give way in shallow water. You forced yourself a few more steps to get to deeper water but you unceremoniously fell forward as your fin took over. You recovered quickly beneath the waves, pushing yourself back up above the water.

Your lower body rested on the seafloor, your hands holding you up, your upper body exposed to the night’s wind. Your eyes were fixated on Agwé and Castiel on the beach. She had moved away from him, watching from a good distance. You could see her lips were still moving, her chanting continuing, but you could not hear what she was saying above the waves.

Castiel began moving sluggishly, his head rolling to the side before his eyes opened slowly. He came to quickly, pushing himself up and staring around. There was something inhuman about his eyes. They were clouded, unfocused.

His attention fell on Agwé and she stiffened, staring him down. Castiel growled, low and rumbling in his chest. That you could hear.

Help him find himself, you reminded yourself.

You began singing, your voice rising above the waves. A short snarl left his mouth, his head snapping towards you out in the sea. His eyes were hungry, wild.

“Come to me,” you weaved into the melody.

The fight left his limbs, his body and mind succumbing to your song completely. He stumbled towards the water, moving through the waves towards you. He dropped to his knees in front of you, the water almost up to his waist. Those murky eyes were searching you, fixated on your voice. He touched your face, desperation in his grip.

Then he shouted out, his grasp on you tightening like a vice. His face was screwed up in pain, and you forced yourself to keep singing to him. Even though you were trying not to gasp underneath his tight hold as he began changing. He was shaking as a fin emerged, and you pulled him closer to you, holding him as he threatened to lose his balance and fall beneath the water. But his momentum was too much and you both fell beneath the waves and you used his momentum to pull the two of you further out to see so he would have more room; all the while, singing to him, your voice echoing out in the water.

His fin was black, unlike one you had ever seen on a merman or a mermaid for that matter. His gills had formed, and he took a deep breath, trying to calm himself.

He still looked lost and you instinctively sung, “Stay.”

Castiel’s eyes cleared instantaneously, his transformation complete. All his attention was on you now and he cut your song off when his lips met yours hungrily.

You ran your hand over his hair that was moving with the water, an excited laugh leaving your mouth. Your lips pressed to his again briefly before pressing your foreheads together. Inhaling deeply, you breathed, “You came back to me.”

“Where was I?” Castiel whispered, sounding confused.

“Lost.”

“Lost?”

You pulled away to look at him. “I called you back.”

Not wanting to be far, Castiel pulled you close again, nuzzling his nose into the side of your face. “I knew you would, мое море.”

He seemed to suddenly remember the two of you were in the ocean, and he looked around in wonder. He was seeing where you came from and lived for the first time with new eyes, in a whole new way.

“It’s beautiful,” he uttered, gazing around. His eyes landed back on you and he leaned in, kissing you softly. “Sing to me again.”


End file.
